Information Literacy Skills and Research Productivity Among Academic Staff in State Universities in South South Nigeria

This study analyses the relationship between information literacy skills and research productivity among academic staff in state universities in Nigeria's South South geopolitical zone. Information literacy, the ability to recognise information needs, locate, evaluate, and effectively use information, is a foundational competency for academic research, yet its empirical relationship to publication output in Nigerian state university contexts has not been adequately established. The study employs a correlational research design, targeting academic staff in Edo, Delta, Bayelsa, and Akwa Ibom State universities. A stratified sample of 380 academic staff complete a validated information literacy skills inventory alongside a research productivity record form capturing publications, citations, and grant acquisition data. The ACRL Information Literacy Framework and the Human Capital Theory provide the analytical anchors, with literature from 2020 to 2024 on academic productivity in Sub-Saharan Africa informing the study. Multiple regression analysis is used to determine the predictive strength of each information literacy dimension on research output. The study addresses a notable gap in the literature by producing the first multi-state comparative dataset for the South South zone. Recommendations target university library management and the Tertiary Education Trust Fund. Keywords: information literacy, research productivity, academic staff, state universities, South South Nigeria