Abstract
The digital divide remains a significant challenge in higher education despite
increasing investment in digital technologies and Internet infrastructure.
Existing explanations have focused largely on disparities in technological access
and digital skills, paying limited attention to the institutional processes that
enable meaningful digital participation. This paper reconceptualizes the digital
divide by positioning information literacy as the critical mechanism through
which digital access translates into effective academic engagement, while
recognising university librarians as institutional agents of digital inclusion.
Adopting a conceptual research approach, the study synthesizes contemporary
literature on digital divide theory, information literacy, digital inclusion, and
academic librarianship to develop an integrated conceptual framework. The
framework demonstrates that sustainable digital inclusion depends on the
interaction among digital access, information literacy, librarian mediation, and
supportive institutional environments rather than technological infrastructure
alone. It further highlights the evolving role of university librarians as educators,
research partners, digital scholarship specialists, and facilitators of equitable
access to knowledge. The paper contributes to Library and Information Science
by extending digital divide scholarship beyond technology-centred explanations
and providing a framework to guide future research, institutional policy, and
professional practice. It concludes that coordinated investment in information
literacy education, librarian capacity development, and institutional support is
essential for promoting equitable participation, strengthening research
competence, and advancing digital transformation within Nigerian higher
education.
Keywords: Digital Divide; Digital Inclusion; Information Literacy; University
Librarians; Higher Education; Nigerian Universities.
Publication Date: 2026-07-31