Actualizing the Nigerian Change Agenda Through Access to Information: The Roles of Libraries

Abstract

The paper explores the concept of access to information as being crucial to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals in which the change agenda policies of the Federal Government of Nigeria is rooted. The role of libraries as global information infrastructure in meaningful and inclusive access to information for sustainable development is discussed. It covers a wide range of issues bordering on fighting corruption, poverty eradication, employment creation, security against Boko-Haram insurgency, economic development through diversification, price control, justice and the rule of law, and reformation in the oil and gas sector. It then concludes with the recommendations that borders on declining financial support, inadequate infrastructural facilities, low levels of information development, obsolete materials and limited access to a variety of information in the form of stored data; as well as legislation on privacy of information to be addressed to help libraries fulfill their role of digital services, social and information access infrastructure for sustainable development.