Stakeholders in Nigeria’s justice sector have called for heightened awareness and implementation of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act 2011 among Ministries, Department s and agencies (MDAs).
The call was made during a recent forum with FOI Desk Officers on Deepening Understanding and Building Collaborative Frameworks around Proactive Disclosure and Responsiveness to FOI requests held in Abuja, Nigeria’s Capital.
They emphasized the importance of transparency and accountability and proposed a series of comprehensive training sessions, workshops, and outreach programs aimed at educating officials about the Act’s implications and benefits.
The Head of FOI Unit at the Federal Ministry of Justice, Mr. Godwin Garuba said that equipping government officials with the necessary knowledge about the FOI Act is crucial to fostering a culture of open communication.
“The gain of the meeting is to deepen the knowledge of Freedom of information act basically for desk officers in all public institutions,” Garuba stated.
A board member of the International Press Center, Mr. Gbemiga Ogunleye stated that everyone has the right to information and that with the FOI Act, Nigeria can overcome the culture of secrecy.
“Many countries, about 92 at last count, they all have FOI laws because they know the importance of getting citizens involved. They know the importance of making the government accountable,” Ogunleye stated.
While speaking, the Senior Program Officer, National Orientation Agency, Ebiseme Elegbe said the FOI would empower citizens to exercise their rights under the law, thereby reinforcing democratic governance and ensuring that public information remains accessible to all.
Mrs Elegbe said “it is important to have a good understanding of what the FOI Act says because if you don’t know something, you wouldn’t know how to go about it.
“Let us inform ourselves. Let’s be educated so that we know where our rightsstarts and where it ends,” she added.
The Nigerian government enacted the Freedom of Information Act to address public concerns regarding perceived secrecy in accessing information from public agencies.
Beginning in February 2025, every public institution is required to submit a report to the Attorney General of the Federation detailing their responses to Freedom of Information requests received in the previous year.
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