OBSTACLES TO AVAILABILITY AND UTILISATION OF ELECTRONIC RESOURCES ON RESEARCH PRODUCTIVITY OF LECTURERS IN SPECIALISED UNIVERSITIES IN NORTHERN NIGERIA

Abstract

This study investigated obstacles involve in availability and utilisation of electronic resources for research productivity of lecturers in specialised universities, northern, Nigeria. The study was guided by (1) one research objective. The population of the study consisted of three thousand eight hundred and twenty-seven 3,827 lecturers in eleven (11) fully operational public and private specialised universities in Northern Nigeria.Simple random sampling technique was adopted to select 400 lecturers across the eleven (11) specialized universities in Northern Nigeria. Using taro yamee formula modify by pollona.The study adopted self-designed structured questionnaire with 4-point likerts scale as data collection instruments. The study analysed the data using descriptive statistics (mean, frequency count and percentage) The study found that obstacles on availability and utilisation of electronic resources are inability to easily access the internet, high cost of accessing resources, irregular power supply, information resources are not accessible. The study conclude that even when the resources are available there are some obstacles in utilising them. The study suggest that management of the libraries studied should provide alternative power supply so that power will not be a challenge in rendering electronic information services or illuminating the library for readers as well as making the atmospheric condition of the library conducive for users.

Keywords: Availability, Electronic resources, Utilization, Obstacles, Research productivity. Specialized Universities, Northern Nigeria.