Nigerians Urged To Leverage FOI Act For Government Accountability

The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Lateef Fagbemi, has emphasized the importance of utilizing the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act, 2011, to promote transparency and accountability in governance.

This call to action was made during a stakeholders’ town hall meeting on the application of the FOI Act in Benin City, Edo State.

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Empowering citizens through the FOI Act, enacted on May 28, 2011, has revolutionized governance by shifting from secrecy to citizen participation,, Mr Fagbemi, represented by Mr. Godwin Garuba, Assistant Director and Head of the FOI Unit at the Federal Ministry of Justice, highlighted that the Act empowers Nigerians to seek information about government activities, fostering transparency and accountability.

Emphasizing on the Key take away from the town hall meeting,Mr.
Fagbemi, Urged public institutions on proper record keeping to maintain proper records to facilitate easy access to information.

Also,, the Minister emphasized the need for responsible use of the FOI Act, cautioning against exploiting it for blackmail or political vendettas.

In addition, he Urge for the domestication of the FOI Law, which he said that, the Edo State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Dr. Samson Osagie, has acknowledged the state’s ongoing efforts to domesticate the FOI law.

In Promoting transparency and accountability, Mrs. Faith Nwadishi, Executive Director of the Centre for Transparency Advocacy, explained that the town hall meeting aimed to educate participants on the importance of the FOI Act in demanding accountability from government officials.

As emphasized by the Media Rights Agenda, leveraging technology, social media, and the FOI Act can empower young Nigerians to expose corruption, advocate for transparency, and push for equity.

A landmark event, jointly organized by the Centre for Transparency, Advocacy and the Federal Ministry of Justice, with support from the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (ROLAC) programme, successfully convened stakeholders from diverse backgrounds.

In unifying forces for transparency, the convergence brought together media representatives, Journalists and media experts, academic scholars, researchers and professors, civil society organisations, advocacy groups and non-profit organizations,who shines at the transparency advocacy event collaboration efforts.

This collaborative effort fostered a dynamic exchange of ideas, expertise, and experiences, ultimately strengthening the collective pursuit of transparency and accountability.