Nigerian Library Association

Nigerian Library Association is a recognized organization for librarians and library and information science educators in Nigeria. Its headquarters is in Abuja. The NLA provides a forum for cooperation, knowledge sharing, and advocacy for the advancement of libraries and information services across the nation among librarians, information scientists, library professionals, and associated stakeholders. Kalu Chioma Okorie, its pioneer president, is also one of the first to receive the Fellow Award of the association. The current president of NLA and chairman of the council and president is Dr. Lawal Umar.

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Mission and objectives

The mission of the Nigerian Library Association is to:

Advance the library profession in Nigeria.
Promote the use of libraries and information resources.
Advocate for improved library services for all Nigerians.
Provide professional development opportunities for librarians.
Represent the interests of librarians and libraries at the national and international levels.

Structure

Nigerian Library Association has a structured organogram made up of a Council that comprises the chairmen of all the State Chapters and the Federal Capital Territory; the National Librarian/CEO of the National Library of Nigeria; the Registrar of the Librarians Registration Council of Nigeria and the chairmen of all the sections/special interest groups that represent all the compartments of libraries and information centers.
These interest groups are:
Nigerian Library Association Library and Information Technology Today
Nigerian Library Association, Cataloguing, Classification, and Indexing Section
Nigerian School Library Section
National Association of Library & Information Science Educators
Public Libraries Section
Academic and Research Libraries
Association of Government Libraries
Association of News Media Librarians of Nigeria
Association of Women Librarians in Nigeria
Nigerian Association of Law Libraries
Medical Libraries Section

Activities

The Nigerian Library Association had a news conference in Abuja in April 2024, where it spoke on the issue of appointing non-librarians to head the various libraries in Nigeria. According to the President of NLA, Mr Omokaro, “The appointment of non-librarians to head libraries in Nigeria is an anomaly because the profession is highly regulated. We have a government regulatory agency that regulates who a librarian is and what qualifications you need to have to practice as a librarian. So, it becomes an aberration when you take a lawyer, doctor, or engineer to head a library, so we are advocating that our jobs are not taken away from us because we have trained librarians. As I speak, we have over 150 professors of the library, 500 to 1,000 librarians with PHD and over 14,000 members in the association captured and recognized as librarians.”
NLA also made cases on the completion of the National Library Project which has been going on for years. There was also the appeal to look into the State Library Boards by working for the standardization of the Public Library System in Nigeria. This is to enhance the public library services, as it is described as the poor man's university. Another intervention by the NLA on the school library system was reported as causing the collapse of education in Nigeria.
NLA participated in the Network of Book Clubs and Reading Culture Promoters in Nigeria on 17 August 2023. The event aimed to promote reading culture and increase the voice of readers in the book ecosystem in Nigeria.
As part of calls for revitalization of libraries, the NLA President, Dr Umar Lawal called urged for quick intervention to revamp the public libraries in Nigeria during the 9th Annual conference organized in Kastina State by the National Library for the public libraries.

Conferences and training

NLA plans and provides training, workshops, and seminars on conferences for members. These help to strengthen members' capacities and enrichment of service delivery. For instance, there has been training on digital workspaces to enable members to build their capacities on modern technologies in library services.
The NLA, State Chapters, and Special interest groups hold numerous conferences and themes throughout the year. The largest conference is the annual conference.

In 2025, the 63rd National Conference/Annual General Meeting was held at the Sir Victor Uwaifo Creative Hub, Airport Road, Benin City, Edo State, with the theme: The 5th Industrial Revolution and the Future of Library and Information Service Delivery in a Changing World.
In 2024, the 62nd National Conference/Annual General Meeting was held at the CBN Centre of Excellence, university of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria, from 7 to 12 July 2024, with the theme: Promoting Diversity and Inclusiveness through Innovative Library and Information Service Delivery in Nigeria.
In 2023, the 61st National Conference/Annual General Meeting was held at the International Culture and Events Centre, Alagbaka, Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria, from 2 to 7 July 2023, with the theme: Promoting Library Collaboration in A Changing World.
In 2022, the 60th National Conference/Annual General Meeting was held in Bolton Event Centre, Wuse Zone 7, Abuja, Nigeria, from 3 to 8 July 2022, with the theme: Library and Information Service in the Development of Nigeria: 1962 - 2022.
In 2021, the annual conference was hybrid—physical and virtual. The Academic and Research Libraries of the Nigerian Library Association 2021 National Conference/Annual General Meeting was scheduled to be held at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, from 26 to 30 September 2021.

Awards and Fellowships

NLA gives awards and fellowships to its deserving members during its annual conferences. One of such awards was to Dr. Modupe Aduke Aboyade CLN, FNLA, FIMPD of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, in 2023. NLA also appointed brand ambassadors in 2023.

Publications

The Nigerian Library Association publishes newsletters, books, conference proceedings, and journals, including:
Newsletters:

Nigerian Library Association. My vision for NLA. Newsletter. Vol. 29, p. 37 January–December
Nigerian Library Association. Making inroads & consolidating. Vol. 27 January–June
Nigerian Library Association. Breaking new grounds. Newsletter. Vol. 26, p. 24 January–June

Books:

Nigerian Library Association. The Nigerian Library Association at 60: History, achievements, challenges and prospects. In Balarabe, A. A & Kamba, M. A.. Zaria: Ahmadu Bello University Press, 386.
Nigerian Library Association. Constitution as amended by the annual general meeting, 4 April 1970. Ibadan: Nigerian Library Association, 1970, p. 11.

Conference Proceedings:

Nigerian Library Association. Libraries in promotion of national integration for development. 55th National Annual Conference of the Nigerian Library Association. Held in University of Lagos, July, 2017, p. 185..
Nigerian Library Association. Nigerian Library Association at 50: Promoting library and information science profession fors national development and transformation. Held in Abuja, July 15–19, 2012, p. 306.
Nigerian Library Association. Information for the sustenance of a democratic culture: A compendium of paper presentations at the 1999 NLA annual National Conference and AGM, p. 138.

Journals

Nigerian Library Association. Nigerian Libraries: Journal of Nigerian Library Association. Vol. 54. January–June.
Nigerian Library Association. Nigerian Libraries: Journal of Nigerian Library Association. Vol. 52. January–June.
Nigerian Library Association. Nigerian Libraries: Journal of Nigerian Library Association. Vol. 49. Jan-Dec.
Nigerian Library Association. Nigerian Libraries: Journal of Nigerian Library Association. Vol. 49. Jan-Dec.
Nigerian Library Association. Nigerian Libraries: Journal of Nigerian Library Association. Vol. 45. June.
Nigerian Library Association. Nigerian Libraries: Journal of Nigerian Library Association. Vol. 45. December.
Nigerian Library Association. Nigerian Libraries: Journal of Nigerian Library Association. Vol. 44. July.
Nigerian Library Association. Nigerian Libraries: Journal of Nigerian Library Association. Vol. 43
Nigerian Library Association. Nigerian Libraries: Journal of Nigerian Library Association. Vol. 42.
Nigerian Library Association. Nigerian Libraries: Journal of Nigerian Library Association. Vol. 41.

Presidents

Name	Tenure
K. C. Okorie	1962-1964
W. J. Plumbe	1964-1965
E. B. Bankole	1965-1966
S. C. Nwoye	1966-1967
F. A. Ogunsheye	1967-1970
S. B. Aje	1971-1973
J. O. Dipeolu	1973-1975
A. Mohammed	1976-1978
O. O. Ogundipe	1978-1980
A. H. Ningi	1980-1983
J. A. Maigari	1983-1985
J. A. Dosumu	1985-1988
J. O. Fasanya	1989-1993
Gboyega Banjo	1993-1998
Mu’azu H. Wali	1998-2000
James O. Daniel.	2000-2005
Victoria Okojie	2005-2010
Lenrie Olatokunbo Aina	2010-2012
Rilwanu Abdulsalami	2012-2016
Umunna Opara	2016-2019
Innocent Isa Ekoja	2019-2022
Dominic Omokaro	2022-2025
Dr Lawal Umar	2025-till date