Over 15 years after the enactment of Nigeria’s Freedom of Information (FOI) Act 2011, poor compliance by public institutions, a pervasive culture of secrecy, and a lack of sanctions continue to undermine the law and fuel the spread of disinformation across the country.
This was the central warning issued in a joint communiqué released at the conclusion of a multi-stakeholder conference held in Lagos on September 28, 2026.
Organised by the Media Rights Agenda (MRA) and the International Press Centre (IPC) to mark the International Day for Universal Access to Information (IDUAI) 2026, the event convened journalists, lawyers, civil society organisations (CSOs), and media experts under the theme: “Freedom of Information in the Age of Disinformation: Why Transparency Matters More Than Ever.”
Delivering the welcome address, Mr Lanre Arogundade, Executive Director of the IPC, stressed that combating information disorder requires more than asking citizens to fact-check. Public institutions, he noted, carry the primary responsibility to proactively disclose credible information, explain decisions clearly, and fulfil legitimate requests.
Participants observed with deep concern that many government agencies still refuse to respond to information requests, ignore proactive publication mandates, and violate the law with impunity due to the absence of effective enforcement mechanisms.
Unreasonable delays in releasing information were singled out for severely weakening investigative journalism, civic monitoring, and public-interest reporting.
The gathering further highlighted that the failure of public authorities to provide timely, official data creates an information vacuum easily exploited by misinformation and disinformation, eroding public trust in democratic governance.
The conference also pointed to significant gender disparities, noting that women and marginalised groups face distinct, unaddressed barriers in accessing public records.
To counter these challenges, participants resolved to take stronger action by systematically integrating FOI requests into investigative journalism, legal action, and civic advocacy campaigns.
They further committed to pursuing litigation against public institutions that wrongfully deny requests, building multi-sectoral partnerships between media and civil society networks, and directly addressing barriers faced by women and marginalised communities to guarantee equitable access to public information.
The communiqué outlined several crucial recommendations for government authorities and judicial officers. It called on the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) to rigorously exercise oversight by issuing directives and sanctions against persistent and willful violators of the Act.
It also urged the judiciary to grant expedited hearings and judgments in FOI litigation under Sections 20 and 21 of the Act to preserve the relevance of requested information.
Additionally, public institutions were urged to establish dedicated FOI Desks with trained staff, modernise record-keeping, and leverage digital tools to proactively publish information as mandated by Section 2(3) and (4) of the Act.
The National Orientation Agency (NOA) was similarly called upon to intensify grassroots public awareness campaigns explaining citizens’ right to request information.
Reaffirming that access to accurate, official information is the most effective defence against information disorder, the participants called on all stakeholders to prioritise transparency, accountability, and the public’s right to know as fundamental pillars of Nigerian democracy.
