University librarians warn about the rapid growth of open-access publishing

The Association of University Librarians of Nigerian Universities has voiced concern over the rising number of predatory journals, the spread of misinformation, and unethical publishing practices linked to the expanding use of open‑access publishing in Nigerian higher‑education institutions.

The association issued this warning in a communiqué released on Tuesday, concluding its 114th Bi‑Annual Conference and General Meeting held at the National Universities Commission from 4 to 7 May 2026.

The conference, themed “Managing University Libraries in the Era of Open Access Publishing: The Role of Librarians,” gathered university librarians, scholars, policymakers, development partners and other stakeholders to discuss the future of academic libraries within a changing global knowledge ecosystem.

According to the communiqué, participants recognised that open‑access publishing is a key driver for democratising knowledge, increasing research visibility and strengthening worldwide scholarly communication among universities and research institutes.

However, the association cautioned that the rapid growth of open‑access models has also opened avenues for unethical publishing practices and the misuse of emerging technologies.

The communiqué states: “Participants expressed concern over the proliferation of predatory journals, misinformation, unethical publishing practices, and the improper deployment of Artificial Intelligence in scholarly communication.”

AULNU noted that university libraries are gradually shifting from traditional custodial functions to strategic knowledge‑facilitation centres responsible for research dissemination, institutional repository management, digital preservation and support for scholarly communication.

“The conference emphasised that modern university libraries must embrace innovation, digital transformation, open science, collaborative research ecosystems, and AI‑enabled service delivery to remain relevant in the knowledge economy,” the association said.

The communiqué identified several obstacles confronting Nigerian universities in the rollout of open‑access publishing, including inadequate ICT infrastructure, unreliable electricity supply, insufficient funding, low digital literacy and weak institutional policies.

“Despite the growing relevance of open access publishing, Nigerian universities continue to face challenges including inadequate ICT infrastructure, unstable power supply, insufficient funding, low digital literacy, limited awareness, weak institutional policies, and inadequate support for article processing charges,” the communiqué added.

The association also reaffirmed the need for professionalism in the administration of academic libraries, insisting that only certified librarians registered with the Librarians Registration Council of Nigeria should be appointed as university librarians and heads of academic libraries.

“The association frowned at the appointment of non‑professionally qualified persons as university librarians, noting that such practices undermine professionalism, standards, and effective administration of university libraries in Nigeria,” it stated.

AULNU called on the Tertiary Education Trust Fund and other government agencies to strengthen support for digital repositories, broadband connectivity, open‑access infrastructure and sustainable scholarly‑communication systems in tertiary institutions.

The association further urged Nigerian universities to develop institutional policies that promote responsible scholarly communication, research integrity and ethical use of artificial intelligence in research and publishing.

It also resolved to deepen collaboration among Nigerian university libraries to establish sustainable open‑access consortia and shared digital infrastructure aimed at improving research accessibility and digital scholarship across the country.

The communiqué concluded that university libraries remain central to teaching, learning, research and innovation, emphasizing the need for stakeholders to work collectively toward building technologically driven and globally competitive academic libraries capable of advancing Nigeria’s higher‑education sector.