Vol. 7 No. 1 (2025)

Open Access

Article

Article ID: 717

Open access and the digital divide: Challenges and opportunities for libraries in the ICT era

by Umar Aliyu, Mohammed Nura Musa, Abdulbaisu Muhammed Rabiu, Jibril Hussein Kawure, Shamsu Dauda Ringim, Aminu Adamu Ahmed

Insight - Information, Vol.7, No.1, 2025; 55 Views, 23 PDF Downloads

Open access (OA) and the digital divide pose opportunities as well as challenges for libraries in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) age. By removing financial barriers, open access programs seek to democratize access to scholarly knowledge; yet, the digital divide is nonetheless made worse by differences in internet accessibility and digital skills, especially in underprivileged places. In order to better understand how libraries might serve as intermediaries in closing the digital gap, this review looks at how open access affects library services. The financial viability of open access models, disparities in user digital literacy, and unequal access to technology are some of the main obstacles. On the other hand, opportunities present themselves as libraries make use of their resources to offer assistance, training, and digital content access, creating a welcoming atmosphere for information exchange. Libraries can significantly contribute to improving information fairness and empowering underserved communities by supporting open access. The analysis ends with suggestions for how libraries may advance open access projects and bridge the digital divide by forming strategic alliances and putting creative outreach programs into place.

Open Access

Article

Article ID: 729

Corporate governance, ethical standards, and sustainability innovation: Driving transformational business success in Lafarge cement, Funakaye, Gombe State, Nigeria

by Usman Yahya Ibrahim, Nathan Cyrus, Kamilat Ladan Shehu

Insight - Information, Vol.7, No.1, 2025; 23 Views, 9 PDF Downloads

This study assesses the role of corporate governance and ethical standards in driving business success, a study of Lafarge Africa PLC in Funakaye, Gombe State, Nigeria. The primary data source was utilized to get information. In order to gather information from 226 Lafarge Africa PLC employees, a particular questionnaire was distributed throughout the study areas. The information was successfully retrieved, retained, analyzed, interpreted, and presented using descriptive statistics, such as frequency distribution, percentages, means, tables, and charts. The data was also tested and analyzed using Pearson’s product moment correlation analysis and simple regression analysis with a regression plot, where three hypotheses were tested to provide the foundation for the conclusions drawn. The major finding of this study revealed that corporate governance is significant to business success, ethical standards have significance to business success, and corporate governance and ethical standards determine business success in Lafarge Africa PLC in Funakaye, Gombe State, Nigeria. It is therefore recommended that Lafarge Africa PLC should maintain these variables, as they can guarantee long-time business sustainability.