Registration & Networking Coffee

Welcome Address

• Olufemi A. Peters (NOUN VC)

Strengthening Nigeria’s Academic Publishing Ecosystem – The Role of the APC Network in National Development

• Arc. Sonny S. T. Echono (Executive Secretary, TETFUND)

The Opening Address will spotlight the government’s leadership in transforming Nigeria’s academic publishing ecosystem. It will highlight how the Academic Publishing Centre (APC) network advances national capacity for digital publishing and drives Nigeria’s broader development priorities through the TERAS ecosystem.

Advancing Inclusive Knowledge Access: Diamond OA and the Global Open Science Agenda

• Enang Moma (UNESCO)

UNESCO will highlight how Diamond Open Access underpins the global Open Science agenda by advancing equity, strengthening bibliodiversity, and amplifying the participation of scholars from the Global South. The talk will explore how community-led, non-commercial publishing models safeguard knowledge as a public good and foster a more inclusive and sustainable scholarly ecosystem.

Goodwill Messages: NUC, CVCNU, NBTE, NCCE, FUTMINNA VC, NAL, NAS, NAE

Keynote: The Evolution and Future of the TETFund Book Development Project, with a Focus on Digital Publishing Opportunities

• Charles Ogugua Aworh (Former Chair, Technical Advisory Group, TETFUND)

Emeritus Prof. Charles Aworh will trace the history of the TETFund Book Development Project and its impact on higher education in Nigeria. He will highlight how the project has supported scholarly publishing, while also examining the challenges of sustainability, quality, and distribution in a rapidly changing knowledge ecosystem..

Keynote: Global Perspectives on Diamond OA & Sustainable OA Book Models

• Joe Deville (Managing Director, Open Book Collective)

From Pilots to Policy – Building a National OA Book Framework

• Fatimah Jibril Abduldayan (University Librarian Maritime University & Co-Lead, Open Access Book Publishing Initiative FUTMinna)
• Kovo Abdulsalami (APC Director FUTMinna)

This presentation will showcase the Academic Publishing Centre (APC) framework for Open Access Book Development in Nigeria, highlighting progress from the FUTMinna BookHub pilot and sharing insights from the collaborative authorship case study at UNILAG. Together, these experiences will illustrate how innovative local initiatives are shaping Nigeria’s pathway towards a coordinated national Open Access book policy.

Regional Collaboration for Open Science and Diamond OA Publishing

• Omo Oaiya (WACREN Chief Srategy Officer / LIBSENSE Coordinator)

Drawing on the LIBSENSE initiative and WACREN’s regional programmes, this talk situates Nigeria’s Diamond OA book publishing efforts within a broader African context. It will highlight how shared infrastructure (repositories, identifiers, publishing platforms), collaborative governance, and capacity-building are enabling institutions across the region to advance Open Science.

Panel: Stakeholder Perspectives on National Coordination for Diamond OA Book Publishing

• Yakubu Ochefu (Former Secretary-General CVCNU)
• Yetunde Zaid (APC South-West Chair UNILAG)
• Joshua Atah (CEO NgREN)
• Engr, Joseph Odo (Director, Information & Communication Technology TETFUND)
• Joe Deville (Open Book Collective)

This panel examines how Nigeria can transition from scattered OA book pilots to a cohesive Diamond OA ecosystem. Funders, regulators, publishers, and librarians will discuss governance, TERAS alignment, and incentives for valuing local scholarship.

Sharing OA Publishing Experiences & Lessons Learned I

• Mojisola Shodipe⁩ (APC Director, UNILAG)

Participants in the BookHub pilot exchange insights from institutional OA publishing initiatives, highlighting successes, challenges, and lessons for Diamond OA.

Day 1 Wrap-up

Building Global Trust in Nigerian Open Access Books: DOAB’s Role in the APC Framework

• Mary-Felix Maina (General Manager, DOAB)

Strengthening OA Book Discoverability through Open Metadata Workflows

• Vincent W.J. van Gerven Oei (CEO, Thoth Open Metadata)

Breakout Session: From Policy to Practice: Building Nigeria’s Diamond OA Book Ecosystem

• Fatimah Abduldayan (Director, Centre for Open Distance and e-Learning & Co-Lead, Open Access Book Publishing Initiative FUTMinna)
• Grace Jokthan (ACETEL, NOUN)

An interactive session where participants develop strategies to embed the APC Framework into Nigeria’s higher education system. Breakout groups will address policy, infrastructure, and capacity, shaping a roadmap for a sustainable and inclusive Diamond OA book ecosystem.

Panel: Balancing Openness and Rights: Intellectual Property & Data Protection in Diamond OA Book Publishing

• Christine Ofulue (Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Technology, Innovation and Research, NOUN)
• Charles Uwadia (Chair, Board of Trustees, Eko-Konnect)
• Fatimah Jibril Abduldayan (Director, Centre for Open Distance and e-Learning & Co-Lead, Open Access Book Publishing Initiative FUTMinna)
• Tolu Pius-Fadipe (Head, Research and Development, Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC))

This panel examines the balance between openness and the protection of authors’ rights, institutional assets, and sensitive data. Panellists will debunk OA myths and show how Diamond OA aligns with copyright, Creative Commons, and data protection in the Nigerian and African context.

Breakout Session: Rethinking Research Assessment for Open Access and Quality

• Sadiat Adetoro Salau (Research Support Librarian, FUTMinna)
• Chiedozie Godian Ike (AAU)

This session will explore how current research assessment practices, often focused on publication counts and impact factors, undervalue local scholarship and limit Diamond OA adoption. Participants will discuss principles and practical steps for more responsible, inclusive, and open evaluation systems.

Sharing OA Publishing Experiences & Lessons Learned II Participants in the BookHub pilot exchange insights from institutional OA publishing initiatives, highlighting successes, challenges, and lessons for Diamond OA.

Closing Ceremony

• Kovo Abdulsalami (APC Director FUTMinna)
• Olubiyi Adewale (Director, NOUN Press)
• Fatimah Jibril Abduldayan (University Librarian Maritime University & Co-Lead, Open Access Book Publishing Initiative FUTMinna)