PAPER ID: Vol. IV Issue I (April to June 2026 ) /27-38 /4
AUTHOR : Irene .O.Gbemudu-Ughwumiakpor(CLN) [i] Priscilla Odeyovwi OSIEBE (CLN) UMUKORO, Godwin[iii] Kolawole Akinjide ARAMIDE [iv]
TITLE: EVALUATING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION (DEI) INITIATIVES IN NIGERIAN UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW
ABSTRACT: This condensed systematic review synthesises evidence on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in Nigerian university libraries. Searches of open scholarly databases, journal platforms, institutional repositories and citation chains identified 20 eligible reports published between January 2016 and June 2025, comprising 17 empirical studies and 3 conceptual, policy or practice reports. The evidence was appraised using criteria adapted from the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool and JBI guidance and synthesised narratively because designs, populations and outcomes were heterogeneous. Disability inclusion, assistive technology, physical access, alternative-format resources and digital inclusion dominated the evidence. Reported benefits included improved access to information, greater independence, higher use of selected services and perceived gains in learning participation where resources were functional and supported. However, causal evidence remains weak because most studies were descriptive, cross-sectional, single-site or self-reported. Major barriers were unstable funding, inaccessible infrastructure, unreliable electricity and connectivity, weak maintenance, limited staff competence, low awareness, poor user consultation and fragmented policy implementation. Gender, ethnic, religious, linguistic and workforce-diversity initiatives were markedly under-evaluated. The review proposes an ACCESS-DEI framework linking accountability, co-design, capacity, equitable collections, accessible systems and sustained assessment. Nigerian university libraries should move from isolated accommodation to institution-wide, measurable and co-designed inclusion systems.
KEYWORDS: Accessibility; Assistive technology; Diversity; Equity; Inclusion; Nigerian university libraries
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