Stakeholders have called for a bold and proactive implementation of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act at the sub-national level as a means to strengthen democracy, promote accountability, and enhance citizen engagement in Nigeria.
The call was made in Benin City during the South-South Regional Roundtable, held under the Strengthening Accountability and Governance in Nigeria Initiative (SAGNI).
Delivering the keynote address, Mr. Samson Osagie, Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Edo State, described the FOI Act as “a recognition that secrecy is the breeding ground for corruption, and the antidote is openness, accessibility, and proactive disclosure.”
He acknowledged the progress made by Edo State in fostering transparency through inter-agency collaboration and FOI compliance training, while admitting that significant gaps remain.
Our MDAs must not wait to be asked before releasing public information. Data on budgets, contracts, procurement, and public health should be available by default,” Osagie said.
He urged government ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) to shift from reactive transparency to proactive accountability, emphasizing the need for collaboration with civil society and the media, capacity-building for public officers, integration of FOI compliance into performance appraisals, and simplification of request processes.
Let the sunlight of information cleanse the corridors of power. Let the FOI Act not just live in our books, but thrive in our practice,” he concluded, quoting U.S. Justice Louis Brandeis.
In her welcome address, Executive Director of the Centre for Transparency Advocacy (CTA), Faith Nwadishi, described the 14-year journey of the FOI Act as one of “progress overshadowed by persistent opacity,” particularly at the state and local government levels.
Many public institutions still operate under a culture of secrecy. Some even demand outrageous fees for information that, by law, should be publicly accessible,” she said.
She cited a case where a public institution requested over ₦1.2 million for documents that should ordinarily be available online.
Some agencies even outsource FOI responses to private law firms. This is not just unacceptable—it’s a violation of the public’s right to know,” Nwadishi added.
She hailed the 2024 Supreme Court judgment affirming the applicability of the FOI Act across all 36 states, calling it a “game-changer” that reinforces the national character of the right to access information.
Quoting from a CTA baseline study conducted in the FCT, Anambra, and Edo States, Nwadishi revealed that over 70% of respondents had never used the FOI Act, and among those who had, 75% received no response.
This is why we are here—to close these gaps. The FOI Act is our strongest weapon against secrecy and impunity. It is not just a legal provision; it is the heartbeat of democracy,” she said.
Nwadishi also announced the revival of CTA’s FOI Service Delivery Awards and a planned hackathon in Benin and Awka to foster innovation in FOI usage.
We need the media to inform, civil society to educate, government to comply, and citizens to act. Let’s not wait another 14 years to make the FOI Act work,” she urged.
The roundtable was organized by the Centre for Transparency Advocacy (CTA), with support from the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (RoLAC) Programme and the European Union, through International IDEA. It forms part of a 12-month project aimed at enhancing access to information and good governance across Nigeria.
NAN
