Eleven universities and other research institutions in the country have benefitted from the World Bank’s donation of books, publications, CDs and other library materials valued at over N30 million in line with the Bank’s knowledge decentralisation drive and access to information policy.

The beneficiary institutions included Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka; University of Calabar; University of Nigeria, Nsukka; University of Abuja and Joseph Ayo Babalola University.

Others are Bingham University, Karu; University of Jos; University of Ado Ekiti; Ebonyi State University; National Bureau of Statistics, Abuja; Arewa House, Kaduna and the United Nations Information Centre, Lagos.

Speaking at the ceremony which was held at the Bank’s office in Abuja, the Bank’s Country Director for Nigeria, Onno Ruhl, stated that the World Bank would henceforth make its knowledge products available to staff and members of the public though the internet and in line with its access to information policy.

He noted that the donation was in line with the Bank’s commitment to development in Nigeria through its diverse and robust knowledge products and stated that although the Bank through its recently launched online Open Data Initiative was freeing up development data for use to stakeholders worldwide via their computers, hard copy materials were still of great relevance and importance.