Information Literacy, Libraries, and the Nigerian Public Sphere

Introduction

The concept of literacy has evolved from simply being able to read and write. Literacy has taken many forms to include computer literacy and now, information literacy. Today, information literacy skills have become essential, not only for those involved in formal education but for all members of the society. However, not everyone has the opportunity to acquire information literacy skills. In Nigeria, for instance, lack of information literacy skills has led to people falling victim of scam artists, being abused and exploited as well as being denied their rights (Fraillon et al, 2020). In the context of education, many students often experience difficulties in producing quality academic works due to poor information literacy skills (Onuoha, 2017; Banik & Kumar, 2019; Hamisu, 2019; Avcı & Ergün, 2022).

This has led to the question of what is being done by various types libraries, particularly in Nigeria to enhance information literacy, not only among the students, but also among the general public. This chapter therefore explores the availability, scope, and reach of information literacy programmes in Nigerian libraries. The chapter also focus on existing frameworks and barriers to the provision of information literacy skills across various types of libraries in Nigeria and how this has impacted on the level of information literacy among various categories of people in the country.