Dr Godian, with AAUE Vice-Chancellor, Prof (Mrs) Eunice Omonzejie and the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academics) at her office on the LIBSENSE initiative.
By Esosa Omorogbe
Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma, has intensified efforts to boost its global research profile with the adoption of the Library Support for Embedded NREN Services and E-infrastructure (LIBSENSE) initiative, a strategic platform aimed at enhancing the visibility and accessibility of the institution’s scholarly outputs.
The development was disclosed by the Principal Assistant Registrar and Head of Information, Protocol and Public Relations of the university, Otunba Mike Aladenika, in a statement made available to journalists in Benin. He said the initiative underscores the university’s commitment to open science, digital research infrastructure, and improved institutional visibility in the global academic community.
According to the statement, the university views LIBSENSE as a transformative project that will ensure research works produced by its staff and students no longer remain hidden in offices, personal computers, or departmental archives but are properly documented, curated, and made accessible through an institutional repository for worldwide discovery and citation.
Aladenika explained that the initiative aligns with the university’s ongoing Annual Research and Innovation Fair and Exhibition (ARIFE) and the Annual Festival of Review Articles (AFORA), noting that while research generation remains essential, equal emphasis must now be placed on ensuring such outputs are visible and impactful beyond the campus community.
Dr Chidozie Godia Ike, LIBSENSE Representative, addressing the AAUE Ranking and Visibility Committee at the meeting.
He stated that the LIBSENSE framework begins with quality research undertaken by departments and faculties before progressing to the systematic organisation and curation of research outputs. Thereafter, the university library will coordinate the documentation and preparation of these materials for inclusion in the institutional repository, while the ICT Directorate will provide the technological infrastructure needed to guarantee online accessibility and global visibility.
The statement highlighted that the collaborative approach involving the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academics), the Ranking Committee, the Directorate of Research and Innovation, faculties, departments, the Library, and ICT Directorate is expected to significantly improve citation rates, foster international collaborations, and strengthen the university’s standing in national and global rankings.
The university also stressed that while publication in reputable academic journals remains important, researchers should not allow delays in journal review processes to keep valuable findings out of public view. Through the institutional repository, accepted papers, conference proceedings, policy briefs, innovation reports, working papers, students’ research projects, and other scholarly materials can be preserved and made visible to the wider academic community.
Aladenika noted that the repository would provide multiple benefits to staff and departments, including improved documentation for promotion purposes, enhanced research recognition, increased opportunities for citation and collaboration, and stronger evidence of academic productivity. Departments, he added, would also be able to showcase their research outputs, innovations, and community impact projects more effectively.
As part of the implementation strategy, the university plans to establish Open Science Champions across its faculties and departments. Each department has been requested to nominate a young, ICT-proficient, and committed staff member to coordinate repository activities and support the institution’s visibility agenda. These champions will subsequently receive specialised briefings and participate in engagements with LIBSENSE representatives to facilitate institutional mapping and repository development.
Reaffirming the university’s vision, Aladenika said LIBSENSE represents far more than a library or ICT initiative, describing it as a comprehensive institutional visibility project designed to project Ambrose Alli University onto the global academic stage. He urged staff, departments, faculties, and students to embrace the programme and actively contribute research outputs that will position the university as a more productive, respected, and internationally recognised centre of learning and innovation.
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