Research Data Management for Sustainable Development in Nigerian Academic Libraries: A Systematic Review

In an era where data is pivotal to academic and scientific advancements for innovation and sustainable development, effective Research Data Management (RDM) practices are essential for maximizing the impact of research. The study examines the current state of RDM in Nigerian universities, identifying key opportunities for fostering innovation and contributing to sustainable development. It also highlights the prospects, challenges as well as proposes strategic solutions to overcome the challenges. A systematic review was employed to synthesize and analyse literature from Ebsco Open Research database, Research-gate and Google Scholar databases. Keywords search used were connected to research data management in academic libraries with a focus on Nigeria, as well as sustainable development. A total of N=411 articles were retrieved, with the exclusion and inclusion criteria process, the author finally analysed N=15 articles by following the PRISMA guidelines. The results show that research data management has some services implemented in different HEIs in Nigeria. It is evidenced that proper management of research data has substantial impact on social and economic development of the nation. This study reports the current state of research data management practice in Nigeria academic libraries and the impact RDM has on sustainable development. Findings revealed that research data management would generate new opportunities for innovation and development in Nigeria by proposing strategies such as investment in RDM infrastructure, capacity building for researchers and librarians as well as development of RDM policies for advocacy and fostering best practices through international collaborations. Keywords: Academic Library; Research Data Management; Sustainable Development; Nigeria