FINANCING REDUCTION OF INFORMATION POVERTY IN NIGERIAN UNIVERSITY-LIBRARIES - A STUDY OF THE IMF AND WORLD-BANK CREDIT FACILITY

This article is a critical appraisal of the recent financing of 20 Fed eral University Libraries in Nigeria by the World Bank at the negotiat ed sum of US$120 million (N2.64 billion). The World Bank project provi des for acquisition of books, journals and equipment based on conditio nalities to be met by the Universities. With background consideration of the socioeconomic effects prevalent with such financing, the paper assesses the impact of implementation of the loan on aspects of librar y professionalism concerning selection, acquisition and staff developm ent functions. The problem of bureaucracy posed by the National Univer sities Commission (NUC) as arbiter of the loan is also highlighted. Fo r the analysis, statistical data on the schedule of University draw do wns based on first, second, third generation of universities; the expe nditure on books; funds committed for journals; and foreign beneficiar ies of payments made for journals, show that all the universities have benefited from the book fund for the first tranche, while payment has been committed, though not expended, for 1993 journals. The inability of the universities in fully meeting up with set conditionalities and policy implications of the credit facility form the basis of discussi on on the aborted future of the World Bank Project. (C) 1995 Academic Press Limited