By Naomi Sharang

The Centre for Transparency Advocacy (CTA) has urged states yet to domesticate the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to do so in order to ensure transparency in governance.

The Executive Director of CTA, Ms Faith Nwadishi, made the call at the meeting/project launch of “The Strengthening Accountability and Governance in Nigeria Initiative (SAGNI) Project held in Abuja on Tuesday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that project is with the support from the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption Programme (RoLAC) and funding from the European Union through International IDEA.

Nwadishi said that through SAGNI, CTA aimed to empower citizens, civil society organisations, youth and women’s groups among others, to demand accountability at all levels of governance.

She noted that since the FOI Act’s passage in 2011, some progress had been made particularly in promoting the effective use of the act but added that significant barriers remained.

“With so few states—Lagos and Ekiti, just the two—having domesticated the FOI Act, enforcement remains inconsistent,” she said.

She said that other challenges with the Act is that it had a concerning number of exemptions, making it challenging for the average citizen to access government information.

“Additionally, complex terminology within the Act, such as “public interest,” often creates ambiguity.

“Another challenge is Nigeria’s literacy rate, which stands at just 57.9 per cent limiting citizens’ understanding and engagement with the Act.

“A historical culture of secrecy within our public institutions—rooted in colonial-era practices—also continues to influence governance.

“While mindsets are slowly changing, this is an uphill battle that the CTA is dedicated to addressing,” Nwadishi said.

In his address, Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi said the FOI Act guarantees the right of citizens to request government information and records without establishing the intent or reason for the request.

Fagbemi was represented by Garuba Godwin, Head, Freedom of Information unit at the Ministry of Justice.

The minister said that the Act was applicable to all public institutions which included the three Arms of Government and private companies utilising public funds, providing public services or performing public functions.

He said his ministry was collaborating with different Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and l

public institutions in ensuring citizens’ participation in governance to strengthen transparency in public institutions and foster a culture of accountability.

The event had in attendance, commissioners of Justice from Edo and Anambra as well as representatives from CSOs, media, National Commission for Persons with disabilities and others.(NAN)

Edited by Sadiya Hamza