Knowledge Management Practices in Nigerian Commercial Banks: Implications for Corporate Libraries

This study examined knowledge management practices in selected Nigerian commercial banks and assessed their implications for the design and operation of corporate libraries. Financial institutions generate and rely on large volumes of institutional knowledge, including market intelligence, regulatory information, product documentation, and client data. A descriptive survey design was adopted, and data were gathered from knowledge management officers, records managers, and corporate librarians in eight commercial banks headquartered in Lagos and Abuja using structured questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. The study found that knowledge capture was largely informal, dependent on individual initiative rather than systematic processes, and that corporate libraries were underutilised as hubs for institutional knowledge sharing. Most banks lacked a formal knowledge management policy, and library staff were seldom involved in knowledge governance committees. The study recommended that banks develop formal knowledge management frameworks, integrate corporate libraries into knowledge governance structures, and train library staff in knowledge management systems and practices relevant to the financial sector. Keywords: knowledge management, corporate libraries, commercial banks, Nigeria, information governance.