The Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, has emphasized the importance of effective implementation of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act in promoting transparency and accountability in governance.
However, despite the AGF’s efforts, challenges to the effective implementation of the act persist.
Fagbemi spoke on Monday at an event commemorating the 2024 International Anti-Corruption Day in Abuja.
One of the major challenges, according to Fagbemi, is the lack of awareness among Nigerian citizens. “On our side, we found out that the majority of the Nigerian citizens are not even aware of the act, and that has been a major bottleneck to its implementation,” he said. This lack of awareness underscores the need for increased sensitization and education on the FOI Act.
“In the government space, the AGF has tried as much as possible to release guidelines, train so many desk officers, and even the CEOs of various government offices on how to use the act and on how to release information. Their response has been encouraging.”
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Another challenge is the need for the office of the AGF to popularize the law among government institutions. Fagbemi emphasized the importance of civil society organizations (CSOs) in getting citizens involved in using the act. This highlights the crucial role that CSOs play in promoting transparency and accountability in governance.
The FOI Act has been instrumental in promoting transparency in government operations, with state high courts and federal high courts giving landmark rulings and judgments in FOI cases. However, more needs to be done to address the challenges to its effective implementation.
The event, which was organized by the Centre for Transparency Advocacy (CTA) in collaboration with the Ministry of Justice, had the theme “Uniting with youth against corruption: Shaping tomorrow’s integrity.” It brought together stakeholders from various sectors to discuss ways to promote transparency and accountability in governance.
In order to overcome these challenges, it is essential to have a multi-faceted approach that involves government institutions, CSOs, and citizens. This includes increasing awareness and education on the FOI Act, popularizing the law among government institutions, and encouraging citizens to use the act to demand transparency and accountability from government institutions.
