Global Academic Insights from Nigeria & Beyond

This narrative review examines the role of technology in research and scholarly communication in African universities. It considers how digital repositories, online journals, research information systems, collaborative platforms, research data services, persistent identifiers and open-access infrastructures can improve the visibility, accessibility and reuse of research outputs. The review also considers institutional challenges including unreliable connectivity, infrastructure constraints, limited digital skills, fragmented systems, funding limitations, research governance and unequal access to scholarly resources. The analysis shows that technology-enabled research should be approached as an institutional ecosystem rather than as a collection of isolated digital tools. Sustainable progress requires reliable infrastructure, researcher capacity development, responsible research data practices, interoperable systems, clear institutional policies and regional collaboration. The review concludes that African universities can strengthen research productivity and scholarly communication by combining digital infrastructure with human capacity, governance and open science practices.

Digital transformation is changing how higher education institutions collect, manage, share and use information for teaching, research, administration and institutional decision-making. As universities increasingly depend on digital platforms and interconnected information systems, effective data governance has become important for maintaining data quality, security, accountability and responsible use. This review examines the relationship between data governance and digital transformation in higher education institutions, with particular attention to institutional policies, data ownership, access management, data quality, privacy, interoperability and organisational capacity. The review considers how governance arrangements can support the effective adoption of digital technologies while reducing risks associated with fragmented information systems, inconsistent data practices and inappropriate access to institutional information. Particular attention is given to challenges affecting higher education institutions in African and West African contexts, including limited technical capacity, uneven infrastructure, institutional coordination challenges and resource constraints. The review argues that digital transformation should be supported by clear governance structures that define responsibilities, establish appropriate data-management practices and promote accountability across institutional units. It concludes that effective data governance can provide a foundation for more reliable digital services, better institutional decision-making and sustainable digital transformation in higher education.

Higher education institutions increasingly depend on digital technologies for teaching, research, administration, communication, and information management, making them important targets for cybersecurity threats and data-protection risks. This review examines cybersecurity awareness and data protection practices in higher education institutions, with particular attention to institutional policies, staff and student awareness, information-security behaviour, privacy protection, access control, cybersecurity training, and organisational preparedness. The review synthesises existing literature to identify major cybersecurity risks and the institutional practices used to mitigate them. The literature indicates that technological controls alone are insufficient when users lack adequate cybersecurity awareness or institutions have weak governance and data-protection practices. Effective cybersecurity therefore requires a combination of technical safeguards, clear policies, continuous awareness programmes, staff and student training, responsible data-management practices, incident-response mechanisms, and institutional leadership. The review highlights the need for higher education institutions, particularly in developing and African contexts, to strengthen cybersecurity governance and build a culture of responsible information security. It concludes that sustainable data protection depends on integrating cybersecurity awareness, institutional policies, technical controls, and continuous capacity development into the broader digital transformation strategy of higher education.

Digital skills are increasingly important for the effective adoption and use of technology within higher education institutions. However, differences in staff competencies, access to digital resources, institutional support, training opportunities and organisational readiness continue to affect technology adoption across West African higher education. This review examines the major factors influencing digital skills development and technology adoption among academic and administrative staff in higher education institutions across the region. The study reviews existing literature on digital literacy, professional development, technology acceptance, institutional support and digital infrastructure. The review identifies limited digital skills, inadequate training, uneven infrastructure, insufficient institutional support and resistance to technological change as recurring challenges. It also highlights the importance of continuous professional development, institutional policies, accessible digital infrastructure and supportive organisational environments. The review concludes that strengthening staff digital competencies requires coordinated institutional strategies that combine training, infrastructure investment, leadership support and continuous evaluation.