The National Library of Nigeria has launched an Endowment Foundation to mobilise long-term funding and partnerships for the preservation of the country’s documentary heritage, as stakeholders warned that artificial intelligence and the rapid digital transformation of the knowledge economy are making library development more urgent.
The foundation, unveiled on Wednesday at the TETFUND Auditorium in Maitama, Abuja, is expected to provide an alternative and more sustainable funding stream for the National Library, complementing government allocations and attracting support from the private sector, academia, development organisations and philanthropists.
The initiative comes amid persistent challenges facing the library system, including inadequate and unpredictable funding, ageing infrastructure, rising costs of digitisation, power and ICT requirements, and the need to expand access to increasingly expensive electronic research resources.
Speaking at the launch, the National Librarian and Chief Executive Officer of the National Library of Nigeria and Chairperson of the Endowment Foundation, Prof. Chinwe Veronica Anunobi, said the financial demands of preserving the nation’s documentary heritage had outgrown what government funding alone could sustain.
“The National Library of Nigeria cannot preserve the nation’s memory with the prevailing funding realities,” Anunobi said.
She said the National Library currently operates 35 branches across the country, requiring continuous investment in infrastructure, electricity, ICT facilities and service delivery.
Anunobi also drew attention to the National Library headquarters under construction in Abuja, saying the project represented a major national investment that would require sustained funding not only for completion but also for maintenance and long-term operation.
According to her, the idea of collective support for the National Library is not entirely new. She recalled that philanthropy, including support from the Ford Foundation, contributed to the foundational work that preceded the establishment of the institution in the early 1960s.
The new Endowment Foundation, she said, seeks to revive and institutionalise that tradition by creating a platform through which businesses, government, academic institutions and individuals can contribute to the preservation and development of Nigeria’s knowledge infrastructure.
“Our aspiration is clear: to ensure that no Nigerian generation inherits a library weakened by neglect, but rather a National Library strengthened by collective ownership, innovation and sustained investment,” she said.
Delivering the keynote address, the President of the African University of Science and Technology, Abuja, Prof. Azikiwe Peter Onwualu, said the role of libraries had expanded significantly as Nigeria moves deeper into the digital economy.
Speaking on “Functional Library as Key to Securing the Future of Knowledge and Springboard for Technological Advancement,” Onwualu argued that libraries should no longer be treated simply as places where books and journals are stored.
He described functional libraries as strategic infrastructure for research, innovation, digital literacy and technological development, particularly at a time when artificial intelligence, big data, automation, advanced computing and biotechnology are rapidly changing how knowledge is produced and consumed.
“Technological advancement does not begin with machines. It begins with knowledge,” he said.
Onwualu said access to information had become easier in the digital age, but that abundance had created another problem: determining which information was credible, accurate and useful.
He said modern libraries therefore had an important role to play in helping students, researchers and members of the public distinguish evidence from assumption, credible scholarship from misinformation and reliable knowledge from the growing volume of unverified digital content.
He called for the transformation of libraries into knowledge and innovation centres offering access to electronic journals, research databases, institutional repositories, e-books and digitised archives, alongside physical and digital spaces where researchers, students, entrepreneurs and innovators could collaborate.
The AUST president also highlighted the implications of artificial intelligence for library services, saying librarians and information professionals would need to help users understand emerging issues around AI accuracy, algorithmic bias, intellectual property, privacy, authorship and academic integrity.
He consequently called for continuous professional training for librarians to ensure that they remain relevant as the information environment changes.
Onwualu urged government, universities, businesses, development organisations and philanthropic foundations to invest in the Endowment Foundation, arguing that support for libraries would have benefits that extend beyond the institutions themselves.
“When we invest in a library, we are investing in students we may never meet. We are investing in researchers whose discoveries may save lives. We are investing in entrepreneurs who may create jobs,” he said.
In a goodwill message delivered on his behalf by his Special Adviser on Monitoring, Ugo Chukwurah, Abia State Governor Alex Otti said the relevance of libraries had increased rather than diminished with the rise of digital technology.
Otti said digitisation should no longer be regarded as an optional modernisation programme, particularly as artificial intelligence continues to reshape education, research and access to information.
He said Nigeria needed to preserve its documentary and intellectual heritage in formats that were secure, searchable and accessible to future generations.
“A nation that neglects its libraries weakens its memory. A nation that strengthens them gives its people the tools to think, to innovate, and to build,” he said.
The governor said government alone could not meet the financial and technological demands of developing a modern library system, making private-sector expertise, philanthropy and innovation essential to the effort.
Otti also highlighted his administration’s education spending in Abia, saying 20 per cent of the state’s budget had been committed to education since 2023. He listed the recruitment of 5,394 teachers, renovation of school facilities and the development of technology-enabled smart schools among the initiatives undertaken by the state.
He also cited the Leadership Academy, TechRise and AbiaFest as programmes aimed at improving learning outcomes and preparing young people for an increasingly digital economy.
“Roads and power will remain essential, but the ultimate strength of our country will depend on the quality of minds we develop, the knowledge we preserve, and the opportunities we create for every child to learn,” Otti said.
The launch attracted government officials, lawmakers, academics, business executives and representatives of development and philanthropic organisations.
Among those present were the member representing Aguata Federal Constituency and Deputy Chairman of the House Committee on Delegated Legislation, Dominic Okafor, who represented the House Committee on Library, Research and Documentation; Deputy Commissioner of Police Idowu Owohunwa, who represented the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu; and the Minister of Inter-Governmental Affairs and Special Duties, Bitrus Zephaniah Jisalo.
Others included the Chief Launcher and Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of Synergy Infrastructure Development and Investment Limited, Alhassan Amadu Dantata; Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Adiva Properties and Endowment Foundation board member, Olorogun Olorunfunmi Adesina; and Assistant Director, Library Services, Mrs Olushola Olutokun, who represented the Statistician-General of the Federation and Chief Executive Officer of the National Bureau of Statistics.
The event also had representatives of the African University of Science and Technology, including the Director-General/Chief Executive Officer of its Centre for Urban Transportation Studies, Engr. Chief Chris Ojobo, OON, as well as representatives of the Sir Emeka Offor Foundation.
With the foundation now launched, the initiative is expected to provide a structured mechanism for mobilising resources towards the completion and maintenance of National Library infrastructure, digitisation of Nigeria’s documentary heritage, acquisition of information resources and expansion of access to knowledge across the country.
