The Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB) took centre stage at the 24th Nigeria International Book Fair, held recently at the Balmoral Convention Centre, Sheraton Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos, where its premier knowledge hub, the ‘Nimbe Adedipe Library, forged promising connections with global publishing giant, Taylor and Francis Group, in landmark collaboration talks.
The strategic engagement, which followed a high-level campus visit by Taylor and Francis previously marked a significant step towards enhancing FUNAAB’s academic resource base and global visibility, with a shared commitment to fostering institutional advancement on pivotal areas such as capacity building, resource sharing, open access publishing, and institutional ranking enhancement.
Building on the momentum, FUNAAB’s Liaison Officer, Dr. Olutoyin Akintola, held a crucial follow-up meeting with Taylor and Francis at the Book Fair. The outcome was a suite of promising initiatives, including specialised capacity-building workshops for FUNAAB staff, virtual exhibitions, expanded access to electronic and print academic materials, enhanced open-access opportunities, and linkages to leading global publishers, geared towards propelling FUNAAB into the frontlines of international research collaborations.
In a related development, the FUNAAB Bookshop, under the leadership of Dr. Kunle Adedoyin, engaged a range of publishing firms at the Fair in strategic business dialogues. A key highlight was the initiation of consignment sales proposals, an innovative move expected to boost the availability and affordability of academic texts for the University Community.
The 24th edition of the Book Fair proved to be more than just a literary gathering for FUNAAB, it became a platform to strengthen global alliances, attract quality academic resources, and champion intellectual growth through strategic partnerships.
