Stakeholders Advocate Awareness Campaigns For Effective Use Of FOIA
It was a gathering of media professionals, civil society advocates, and legal minds as the International Press Centre marked the 14th anniversary of Nigeria’s Freedom of Information Act in Abuja.
At the heart of the conversation were the gains, prospects, and ongoing challenges of the FOI Act—fourteen years after it was signed into law.
Speakers at the event, including media executives and rights activists, acknowledged that the Act has empowered journalists and citizens alike to demand transparency and accountability from public institutions.
They, however, expressed concern that many government agencies still frustrate access to public records, either by ignoring requests or hiding under the guise of bureaucracy and advocated sensitisation.
The former Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi who received an award at the event, opined that upholding transparency may not necessarily lead to accountability hence all hands must be on deck to demand accountability from political leaders
The House spokesman and Chairman of the House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Honourable Akintunde Rotimi, cautioned that as we push for transparency, we must confront every threat of misinformation which can undermine trust in public institutions and distort the information being sought.
Earlier in his welcome speech, the Executive Director of, the International Press Centre, Lanre Arogundade, had called for a renewed commitment to upholding the spirit of the FOI Act, noting that freedom of information is key to strengthening Nigeria’s democracy while the Executive Director, Centre for Media and Society, Dr. Akin Akingbulu, said a lot still needs to be done to ensure effective use of the FOI Act
He urged journalists to remain relentless in using the FOI Act as a tool for investigative reporting and public enlightenment.
As the FOI Act clocks fourteen, the call is clear: uphold the right to know, deepen transparency, and protect the watchdog role of the press.
