Budgets and budgeting in selected Nigerian university libraries

In Nigerian university libraries, government allocations are the main source of revenue supporting library operations. However, the level of government support differs between federal and state institutions. This is despite the reality that all universities provide similar levels of education and graduates who competitively compete with one another for employment. This inequality prompted a study to identify the various sources of funds supporting academic libraries and to determine which were the most useful. Among the discoveries was that the budget is used as a long‐term development plan, helping the librarians prioritize their needs. The results of this survey suggested several courses of action, ranging from lobbying from more government support to increasing philanthropic outreach.