This paper will look at the roles of institutional factors in having in place effective ETDs through institutional repositories ((IRs). The paper will: be informational in nature, do extensive review of relevant literature and discuss: the concept, relevance and importance of ETDs; problems associated with ETDs; and institutional factors such as institutional policy, institutional culture, funding, motivational factors and environmental factors as factors that can affect ETDs dissemination through IR. Further, it will describe: Institutional Repositories and their importance in information dissemination; and the challenges associated with institutional repositories in developing countries with specific emphasis on the Nigerian context.