DOI: 10.36347/sjahss.2016.v04i10.012

Pages: 1318-1323

Abstract: Nigeria had the Freedom of Information Act signed into law in 2011 after several years of campaigns, since 1993. The passage of the Act signified an important step for Nigeria in actualizing the principles of transparency in public affairs. It was a victory for the many civil society organisations, mainly human rights and media based non-governmental organisations that keep the faith and continued to push the passage of the act after years of setback. Since the return to civil rule in 1999 several civil society organisations operating under the umbrella of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Coalition, coordinated by Media Rights Agenda (MRA), had sustained the campaign until President Goodluck Jonathan assented to it in 2011, shortly upon coming to power after the elections of that year. With the passage of the Freedom of Information Act, there was expectation that the secrecy that surrounds government activities, in particular, would be made open – the culture of transparency and openness would prevail. But it requires more than the passage of the bill into law to meet the expectations that many people had. It is important to recount some of the actions that were taken to actualize the FOI and to discuss the prospects that this holds for Nigeria. It is one way by which the effects of the implementation of the FOI can be examined and suggestions for greater effect made. The Freedom of Information Act is a piece of legislation that allows access to public information held by government or private organisations that operate in the public domain.