INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of study
Layman tends to equate the application of information and communication technology ( ICT) in any profession to being online, meaning connected to the internet. Although the internet is an integral part of the ICT, it is not all there is to it. This paper seeks to investigate the many opportunities for the application of ICT in Nigerian academic libraries. It is hoped that the use of ICT in academic libraries will assist both the patrons and the library and information professionals in the libraries. However, what is  ICT?  ICT is an acronym for information and communication technology but beyond this acronym, “there is not a universally accepted definition of  ICT why? Because the concepts, methods and applications involved in  ICT are constantly evolving on an almost daily basis. It’s difficult to keep up with the changes that happen so fast. A good way to think about  ICT  is to consider all the uses of digital technology that already exist to help individuals, businesses and organizations use information. ICT covers any product that will store, retrieve, manipulate, transmit or receive information electronically in a digital form. For example personal computer, digital television, email, robots, etc. Also ICT is an umbrella that includes any communication device or application encompassing radio, television, cellular phones, computer and network hardware and software, satellite systems and so on, as well as the various services and applications associated with them such as video conferencing and distance learning. From these definitions, some of the application of ICT has become clear such as video conferencing and distance learning, both of which can be facilitated by the academic library. Other applications of the ICT specific to libraries could include access to online resources on the internet such as e-journals, e-books and e-magazines, e-publishing, using CD-ROM for literature searches, access to local or network data bases on LAN (local area network) or WAN (wide area network). The opportunities for the application of the ICT in an academic library especially in a developing nation like Nigeria seem endless. The application of ICT in Nigeria academic library is justified in that it provides access to learning resources, information and knowledge until now inaccessible by reason of distance technology. However, since according to the European commission the importance of ICT lies in the technology itself in its ability to create greater access to information and communication.