Abstract
This study examined the effect of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) integration on the research productivity of academic librarians in federal universities in North-Central Nigeria. The study was motivated by the increasing role of digital technologies in scholarly communication, information access, and research dissemination within higher education institutions. A correlational survey design was adopted for the study. Data were collected from academic librarians in selected federal universities in the region using a structured questionnaire, and 106 valid responses were analyzed. Descriptive statistics and Chi-square analysis were used for data analysis. The findings revealed that ICT integration among academic librarians was generally moderate to high, especially in the use of computers, internet access, electronic journals, and online databases for research purposes. The study also found that ICT integration positively influenced research productivity by improving research quality, increasing output, enhancing access to global scholarly resources, reducing time spent on research tasks, and improving the dissemination of research findings. However, advanced digital applications such as collaborative research platforms and virtual reference services were less utilized. Major barriers identified included inadequate ICT infrastructure, poor internet connectivity, insufficient training opportunities, weak institutional support, and limited access to current research databases. The Chi-square result showed a statistically significant relationship between ICT integration and research productivity (χ² = 24.53, p < .05). The study concludes that ICT integration significantly enhances the research productivity of academic librarians and recommends sustained investment in ICT infrastructure, digital capacity building, and institutional support mechanisms.
Keywords: ICT integration, research productivity, academic librarians, federal universities, North-Central Nigeria, academic libraries
Publication Date: 2026-07-31