Higher Education and Research: Minister Advocates for Strong, Modern, and Accessible University Libraries

Senegal's Minister of Higher Education, Research, and Innovation, Professor Daouda Ngom, has underscored the critical role of university libraries in fostering scientific advancement and innovation within the nation. Speaking at the 60th anniversary of the Cheikh Anta Diop University library in Dakar, Ngom stressed the urgent need to bolster these institutions, ensuring they are not only well-resourced but also modern and easily accessible to students and researchers.

Professor Ngom, himself an alumnus of the esteemed institution, described the university library as a symbol of knowledge and academic rigor. He highlighted its essential mission in providing a vital public service of knowledge dissemination in an era of rapid global change, where access to information is a key driver of development. The minister emphasized that the library serves as the crucible where the rigor of researchers is forged, making it indispensable for scientific output.

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The BU is the crucible where the rigor of researchers is forged.

Echoing the minister's sentiments, academics lauded the call for sustained investment in library infrastructure as crucial for consolidating Senegal's intellectual and scientific sovereignty. The Rector of UCAD, Professor Alioune Badara Kandji, affirmed that the university library is a historic pillar of the academic system, contributing significantly to the prestige of the university, Senegal, and indeed, all of Africa. The 60th-anniversary celebration served as a moment for reflection on the strategic importance of university libraries in shaping the future through the production and diffusion of knowledge.

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The BU, historic pillar of the academic system, fully contributes to the radiance of Cheikh Anta Diop University of Dakar, of Senegal and of all of Africa.