LIBSENSE Nigeria is taking steps to convert the dialogue at the National Stakeholder Summit on Community-Led Open Access Academic Publishing into concrete national action. In a strategic follow-up meeting, LIBSENSE Coordinator, Omo Oaiya, met with the top brass at the National Universities Commission (NUC) to discuss practical steps to strengthen Nigeria’s open-access infrastructure. The meeting emphasized the strategic importance of open access in advancing artificial intelligence and data-driven research. They explored how coordinated, policy-aligned approaches can enhance the quality, visibility, and global impact of Nigerian scholarship. The conversation also addressed Responsible Research Assessment (RRA), examining how global frameworks like the Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA) and the Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment (CoARA) can be adapted to Nigeria’s unique higher education context. The NUC Executive Secretary, Prof. Abdullahi Yusufu Ribadu, pledged institutional support for the Summit outcomes and agreed to collaborate with the Committee of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities (CVCNU) and the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) to organize a national policy roundtable in early 2026. This roundtable will develop a practical implementation roadmap for community-led open access publishing and responsible research assessment across Nigeria. With momentum from the Summit and backing from the NUC and other key stakeholders, the LIBSENSE Nigeria Cohort is now focused on coordination and implementation, working collaboratively to advance open, equitable, and impactful scholarly communication throughout Nigeria.
