FOI Act: MRA, IPC demand stronger compliance by public institutions
by Adenle Ahmed Abiola · The Eagle OnlineMedia Rights Agenda (MRA) and the International Press Centre (IPC) have called for stronger implementation of Nigeria’s Freedom of Information Act, 2011, saying poor compliance by public institutions is worsening the country’s information crisis.
The call was contained in a communiqué issued on Monday after a one-day multi-stakeholder conference organised by the two organisations in Lagos to commemorate the 2026 International Day for Universal Access to Information (IDUAI).
The conference was held under the theme, “Freedom of Information in the Age of Disinformation: Why Transparency Matters More Than Ever.”
The event brought together journalists, media professionals, civil society organisations, lawyers and other stakeholders to examine the implementation of the FOI Act and the role of access to information in promoting transparency and accountability.
In his welcome address, the Executive Director of the International Press Centre, Lanre Arogundade, said combating disinformation should not be reduced to simply asking citizens to “check the facts”.
Arogundade said public institutions also had a responsibility to make credible information available, explain decisions clearly and respond appropriately to legitimate requests for information.
The participants noted that despite the FOI Act being in existence for more than 15 years, compliance by public institutions across the different levels of government remained largely poor.
They said many agencies continued to refuse information requests, deny access without legitimate reasons, fail to proactively publish information required by law and violate other provisions of the Act.
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The stakeholders also identified widespread ignorance of the FOI Act among public officials and citizens, as well as what they described as a culture of secrecy in many public institutions, as major barriers to effective implementation.
They noted that delays in responding to requests could undermine the usefulness of information, particularly for investigative journalism, public-interest reporting, civic monitoring and other time-sensitive activities.
According to the participants, the absence of timely and reliable official information also creates gaps that make it more difficult for citizens, journalists and other stakeholders to verify claims and distinguish accurate information from misinformation and disinformation.
The conference further raised concerns over the gender dimensions of FOI implementation, noting that women and other marginalised groups could face additional barriers in accessing information and participating fully in transparency and accountability processes.
Participants also blamed the absence of effective sanctions for non-compliance for contributing to a culture of impunity among public institutions.
They therefore resolved to make greater use of the FOI Act in investigative reporting, research, advocacy, civic monitoring and efforts to promote public participation in governance.
They also resolved to strengthen collaboration among media organisations, lawyers and civil society groups in using the law to investigate public-interest issues, monitor government programmes and expenditure, counter misinformation and promote accountability.
The stakeholders called for greater public awareness of the right to information, documentation of experiences with FOI requests and the pursuit of legal remedies, including litigation, where necessary to enforce compliance.
They urged governments at all levels to demonstrate stronger commitment to implementing the FOI Act and called on public institutions to establish dedicated FOI desks staffed by trained personnel.
The institutions were also urged to proactively publish information as required under Sections 2(3) and 2(4) of the Act, improve their record-keeping and information management systems and make information available in accessible formats.
The participants called on the media to strengthen journalists’ capacity to make and follow up on FOI requests, while civil society organisations were urged to intensify public enlightenment, monitoring and advocacy.
They also asked media and civil society organisations to strengthen collaboration in documenting cases of wrongful denial, delay and other barriers to access to information.
The Attorney-General of the Federation was urged to exercise his oversight responsibilities more rigorously and issue appropriate directives against officials and institutions that persistently and wilfully violate the FOI Act.
The judiciary was also urged to expedite hearings and judgments in FOI cases to preserve the timeliness and relevance of information sought through litigation.
The stakeholders called on the National Orientation Agency to intensify grassroots awareness campaigns on the right of access to information and the provisions of the FOI Act.
They further recommended gender-responsive approaches to FOI implementation, greater use of digital technologies to improve the publication and accessibility of information, and stronger cooperation among stakeholders.
The participants reaffirmed that access to information is a fundamental right and remains central to transparency, accountability, public participation and democratic governance.
They said timely access to credible information held by public institutions was particularly important in an information environment increasingly affected by misinformation and disinformation.
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