Information literacy, information use and sustainable development of higher education in Nigeria

Abstract

Purpose The need for sustainable development (SD) of higher education (HE) is recognized in the UN 2030 Agenda for SD. Central to the SD of HE is information literacy and information use. This study aims to investigate information literacy, information use and SD of HE in Nigeria. Design/methodology/approach A descriptive survey research design was used for the study. The population for the study was the staff of public higher educational institutions in Southern Nigeria. A self-structured online questionnaire was sent to the respondents via social media. The data generated were analysed using mean, frequency count and percentages. Findings It was reflected that information literacy played a significant role in the SD of HE and that the extent of information use was high. It was revealed that the areas of HE that require SD include economic/finance and investment priorities; administration, mission and planning; and research and scholarship. Originality/value The study emphasizes that SD of HE in the current educational enterprise requires that people are information literate and information is extensively used.