Story: Fauziatu Adam
The Association of African Universities has established an
Open Access Institutional Repository (database) (OAIR) to harness and
disseminate research information within member universities for the development
of Knowledge based economies in Africa.
A two day advocacy workshop organised by AAU and
collaborated by the Research Libraries in Ghana (CARLIGH) and the Royal
Tropical Institute of the Netherlands seeks to critically discuss and develop
all technical issues, including copyright and the use of standard software in
creating such a gigantic repository.
" The Rationale behind this workshop is to afford an
opportunity for government officials, the academic and research communities,
institutions and organisations to learn about the potential benefits of open
access, to share ideas with colleagues and to inspire wider participation of
the project" said secretary General, AAU, Professor Olugbemiro Jegede.
Participants from the universities across the continent are
expected to acquire requisite knowledge to engage in advocacy for the creation
of these repositories in their various institutions and the countries as well.
Deputy Minister of Education, Mr Mahama Ayariga in a speech
read on his behalf was of the view that
national repository centres in Africa should act on a national scale, to serve
all libraries in the country.
" Other roles that these centres should have are a
national collection policies which would assist libraries in national inter-lending
and act as legal deposit and engage in
co-operative cataloging to union databases" he said.
The challenges facing the African scholarly publishing and
dissemination, he observed, included the
fact that universities, research bodies, research NGOs produce a large amount
of knowledge, but do not always disseminate it widely.
" Apart from the lack of investment to do research, and
to disseminate and publish research findings, the human resources capacity with
the requisite publishing skills are not always readily available" he
added.
He expressed his hope that the advocacy workshop would
enable participants bring out policies which would act as guidelines for the
establishment and smooth running of institutional repository centres which
would enhance the production and dissemination of knowledge as a priority.
AAU is an international non- governmental organisation set
up by universities in Africa to promote cooperation among themselves and with
the international academic community.
The organisation was established in 1967 under the
initiative of El Nazeer Dafaala, Director of the University of Rabat, Morocco
at a founding conference in Rabat attended by representatives of 34
universities who adopted the constitutions of the organisation.
Headquartered in Accra, the organisation is the principal
forum for consultation, exchange of information
cooperation among universities in Africa and operates in 3 official languages
including English, French and Arabic.
Membership is opened to universities and other institutions
of higher education in Africa as well as organisations and networks whose
members are universities or engage in supporting universities.
