FUTMinna Leads the Charge in Revolutionising Academic Publishing in Nigeria

The Federal University of Technology, Minna (FUTMinna) spearheads a transformative initiative to revolutionise academic book publishing in Nigeria. Rooted in the vision of democratising access to knowledge and fostering sustainable publishing ecosystems, this movement began at the workshop for the LIBSENSE in Nigeria Book Project, which catalysed discussions on leveraging Open Access (OA) and digital tools to modernise academic book publishing.

Through strategic partnerships with Datasphir and funding support from the Open Book Collective (OBC), FUTMinna is turning these discussions into action, setting a precedent for innovation in Nigerian academia and beyond.

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The Eko-Konnect Spark: Where Innovation Took Root

The LIBSENSE workshop at the Eko-Konnect User Conference 2024 brought together stakeholders from Nigeria’s academic and research communities to address the challenges of traditional scholarly publishing. During this workshop, participants articulated a bold vision: to modernise book publishing systems and make high-quality academic materials freely available through Open Access platforms.

Following the conference, Datasphir played a critical role in refining this vision, providing technical expertise to develop BookHub, a cutting-edge OA publishing solution tailored to the needs of Nigerian institutions based on Open Source software from Coko. With FUTMinna as the pioneering pilot site, the project is evolving a roadmap for transforming academic publishing.

FUTMinna and BookHub: Pioneering the Future

FUTMinna is piloting the innovative BookHub platform to modernise its Academic Publishing Centre (APC), setting a new standard for academic publishing.

Transforming Publishing

By Q1 2025, 8 OA books will be published, with 18 more by year-end.

Fostering Collaboration

Engaging authors, editors, and librarians through writing workshops.

Advancing Policy

Aligning publishing practices with Open Access principles.

Modernising Practices

Shifting from traditional methods to digital-first publishing.