Digital bridges and persistent rifts: Assessing the role of ICT in knowledge sharing in South-South Nigerian university libraries

This study assesses the role of ICT in knowledge sharing among postgraduate students in six federal university libraries in Nigeria’s South-South region. Using a descriptive survey design, data were collected from 561 respondents (83% response rate) out of a sample of 676 drawn from 6,761 postgraduate users. A validated questionnaire (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.87) was used to examine ICT infrastructure, knowledge sharing methods, impact, and inhibiting factors. Findings reveal high internet availability (85–95%), but only 42.6% report reliable access, while computer access remains critically low (1:18 student-to-device ratio). Although e-databases are available, only 54.1% of students received training, and awareness of institutional repositories is minimal (28.5%), with two universities lacking them entirely. Students increasingly rely on informal platforms—WhatsApp (93.7%) and Google tools (76.3%)—for academic collaboration, while formal systems like LMS forums show low engagement (18.6%). ICT has improved access (mean = 3.41) and collaboration (3.12), but impact on research output (2.43) and equity (2.38) remains limited. Major inhibiting factors include power outages, poor connectivity, lack of digital skills, and weak integration of library services into academic workflows. The study recommends improving infrastructure reliability, mandating digital literacy training, revitalising institutional repositories, enhancing LMS-library integration, establishing research support units, and forming a regional ICT consortium. While ICT serves as a digital bridge to knowledge, persistent gaps in infrastructure, policy, and user support hinder equitable sharing. Sustainable progress requires a shift from technology deployment to user-centred, system-wide strategies in academic library development.