The Executive Director of Media Rights Agenda (MRA), Mr. Edetaen Ojo, has called on journalists and civil society organisations (CSOs) in Nigeria to make more effective use of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act as a tool for promoting transparency, accountability, and good governance.
Mr. Ojo made the call on Wednesday in an opening remark at a two-day Freedom of Information Training Workshop for journalists and representatives of civil society organisations, drawn from South-East and South-South held at Bridge Waters Hotel, Enugu, organised by Media Rights Agenda with funding support from Luminate.
He recalled that the FOI Act was signed into law on May 28, 2011, by former President Goodluck Jonathan after over 12 years of sustained civil society advocacy led by MRA.
According to him, the legislation marked a major milestone in Nigeria’s democratic journey, particularly after an earlier version of the Bill passed in 2007 failed to secure presidential assent.
“For nearly 15 years now, we have had the Freedom of Information Act, a landmark piece of legislation that we fought tirelessly to bring to life,” he said, noting, however, that many public institutions still treat the Act with indifference or outright hostility.
Mr. Ojo described access to information as a fundamental right recognised under international law, stressing that the FOI Act gives legal force to the public’s right to know and imposes clear obligations on public institutions to operate transparently and accountably.
He identified the media and civil society as the sectors best positioned to benefit from the law, explaining that journalists, as information professionals, are empowered by the Act to seek and obtain official documents, records, and data necessary to perform their constitutional responsibility under Section 22 of the 1999 Constitution to hold government accountable.
“The Act enables journalists to move beyond speculation and hearsay to fact-based, evidence-driven reporting,” he said, adding that investigative journalism thrives on access to credible information.
Drawing comparisons with countries such as India and Brazil, Mr. Ojo noted that ordinary citizens in those nations actively use freedom of information laws to address issues relating to land records, pensions, public services, and local development projects.
He encouraged Nigerian citizens to adopt similar practices.
For civil society organisations, he described the FOI Act as a powerful instrument for advocacy, research, and civic engagement, enabling them to monitor government performance, track public expenditure, expose corruption, and demand improved service delivery.
He emphasised that transparency fosters trust and strengthens democracy, but cautioned that the mere existence of the law is insufficient without effective utilisation.
“Many public institutions still resist disclosure, delay responses, or deny requests without lawful or legitimate justification,” he observed, underscoring the importance of capacity-building initiatives such as the workshop.
Mr. Ojo commended Luminate for funding the training and urged participants to engage actively in the sessions, ask questions, share experiences, and explore opportunities for collaboration.
He expressed optimism that the knowledge gained from the workshop would enhance participants’ professional work and contribute to building a more open, transparent, and accountable Nigeria.
The two-day workshop will cover thematic areas such as importance of FOI, Overview of Freedom of Information Act, Making Requests for Information under the FOI Act, as well as mechanism for for Enforcing Compliance with the FOI Act, Monitoring Freedom of Information Implementation & Compliance, The Role of Journalists and Civil Society in Promoting Access to Information and Using the FOI Act for Investigative Journalism among others.
