UNILAG’s 4th International Week Kicks Off with National Training for Journal Editors

The University of Lagos (UNILAG) officially launched its 4th International Week on Monday, October 21, 2024, with a National Training for Editors of Local Journals across Nigerian tertiary institutions. The event, held at the Arthur Mbanefo Digital Research Centre (AMDRC), UNILAG, highlighted a significant collaboration between the Academic Publishing Centre (Southwest TETFund) at UNILAG and the Elsevier Publishing House, Netherlands.

In her remarks, UNILAG's Vice-Chancellor, Professor Folasade Ogunsola, OON, FAS, emphasized the need for higher standards in academic publishing, pointing to the importance of quality publications in boosting Nigeria and Africa's global academic visibility. She also reaffirmed her dedication to enhancing the capacity of staff and students, underscoring her belief that improving publication standards is critical to achieving global relevance.

The Acting Director of the Academic Publishing Centre (APC), Dr. Mojisola Shodipe, described the training as a product of a shared vision between UNILAG and Elsevier, aimed at elevating journal editors' skills, particularly in peer review processes, Open Access publishing, and international publishing standards.

The event featured keynote addresses from Professor Jo Anjouri, Deputy Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Education at the University of Warwick, who advocated for the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to address quality gaps in academic publishing. Alongside Professor Anjouri, Elsevier representatives Shalan Khalid and Amr Mawad delivered insightful presentations on advancing academic publishing in Nigeria.

The one-day training marks a major step in advancing Nigeria’s academic publishing landscape, equipping participants with global best practices to enhance the quality and visibility of Nigerian research outputs.