For many researchers, valuable studies often remain unseen beyond campus walls. Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma, is seeking to change that reality through the adoption of the Library Support for Embedded NREN Services and E-infrastructure (LIBSENSE) initiative, a platform designed to increase the visibility, accessibility and impact of the institution’s scholarly work.
The development was announced by the Principal Assistant Registrar and Head of Information, Protocol and Public Relations, Otunba Mike Aladenika, who said the initiative reflects the university’s commitment to open science, digital research infrastructure and stronger global academic engagement.
According to the university, LIBSENSE will ensure that research findings produced by staff and students no longer remain confined to offices, personal computers or departmental archives. Instead, such works will be properly documented, curated and preserved in an institutional repository where they can be accessed, discovered and cited by scholars around the world.
Aladenika explained that the initiative complements the university’s Annual Research and Innovation Fair and Exhibition (ARIFE) and Annual Festival of Review Articles (AFORA). While generating quality research remains important, he noted that ensuring such work reaches a wider audience is equally critical.
Under the LIBSENSE framework, research generated by faculties and departments will be systematically organised and prepared for inclusion in the university’s institutional repository. The university library will coordinate the documentation process, while the ICT Directorate will provide the digital infrastructure required for online access and global visibility.
The university believes the collaborative effort involving the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academics), Ranking Committee, Directorate of Research and Innovation, faculties, departments, Library and ICT Directorate will improve citation rates, attract international collaborations and strengthen AAU’s position in national and global rankings.
The institution also emphasized that researchers should not allow lengthy journal review processes to prevent important findings from reaching the public. Through the repository, accepted manuscripts, conference papers, policy briefs, innovation reports, working papers and students’ research projects can be preserved and shared with the wider academic community.
Beyond improving visibility, the repository is expected to support staff promotion processes, increase research recognition, create opportunities for collaboration and provide stronger evidence of academic productivity. Departments will also have a platform to showcase their innovations, research achievements and community impact initiatives.
As part of the rollout, AAU plans to appoint Open Science Champions across faculties and departments. Each department has been asked to nominate a young, ICT-proficient and dedicated staff member to coordinate repository activities and help drive the university’s research visibility agenda.
For researchers whose work often struggles to reach a global audience, the initiative offers a new opportunity to ensure their ideas, discoveries and innovations gain the recognition they deserve.
