The Media Rights Agenda (MRA) has raised concerns about the continuous underfunding of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act in the country.
MRA accused the government of undermining the effectiveness of the FOI Act by constantly failing to allocate adequate resources for its implementation.
In a statement issued by MRA, the organization pointed out that only a tiny fraction of public institutions, about one percent, have included provisions for FOI-related activities in their 2025 budget proposals which shows a continued neglect of the crucial transparency law.
According to a 22-page report titled “A Vote Against Transparency: A Report on Allocations for Freedom of Information Implementation in 2025 Federal Budget,” MRA revealed that only 13 out of over 1,300 federal public institutions have made budgetary allocations for the implementation of the FOI Act.
The total sum proposed for FOI-related activities amounts to N230,825,750, which is a mere 0.000464 percent of the Federal Government’s N49.74 trillion budget for 2025.
Mr. John Gbadamosi, Programme Officer for MRA, explained in the statement: “There is a temptation to argue that it is far more important for the Government to spend resources on tangible projects such as infrastructure and other capital projects than on the implementation of the FOI Act. However, as noted in MRA’s 2024 report on this subject, without adequate investment in the implementation of the FOI Act to ensure that the government is transparent and accountable, all other allocations and expenditures for infrastructure, facilities, or other development projects would be at risk and could easily be misappropriated.”
He went on to emphasize that the long-term benefits of fully implementing the FOI Act could significantly enhance government transparency, foster greater public participation in governance, and improve trust in government.
“The effective implementation of the FOI Act is essential to ensure a more open and responsive government, one that the public can trust to act in their best interests,” he asserted.
Mr. Gbadamosi also noted that the public institutions that have included allocations for FOI implementation are relatively few, including the Federal Government Staff Housing Loans Board, the Bureau of Public Service Reforms, the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria, and various federal ministries such as Labour and Employment, Works, and Housing.
The full list also includes institutions like the National Library of Nigeria, the Nigerian Law Reform Commission, and the Office of the Surveyor General of the Federation.
While the total amount allocated for FOI implementation in the 2025 budget represents a 96.76 percent increase from the previous year, the total increameant remains woefully insufficient. Despite the increase in the number of institutions allocating funds—rising from 10 to 13—the overall figure for FOI-related funding is still alarmingly low, according to MRA.
“The increase is welcome, but it is still far from enough,” Gbadamosi remarked. “Without the necessary resources, the FOI Act will continue to be symbolic at best, failing to serve its intended purpose of ensuring transparency and accountability.”
The MRA’s report also raised the broader consequences of the government’s neglect of the FOI Act. Gbadamosi warned that without proper funding and resources to enforce the Act, Nigeria’s democratic process is being undermined.
He accused the government of perpetuating a culture of secrecy and corruption by failing to properly implement the law, which was designed to promote openness.
“It is quite disheartening that nearly 14 years after the FOI Act became law, the Federal Government has for the most part failed to provide the necessary financial, technical, and human resources as well as infrastructure and political will to ensure its full and effective implementation,” he said. “This clearly demonstrates a lack of commitment to transparency, accountability, and good governance.”
The MRA further noted the failure of the government to sanction any public institution for failing to comply with the FOI Act, even when such institutions blatantly disregard court orders mandating adherence to the law. “No single government ministry, department, or agency has ever been reprimanded or sanctioned for flouting the Act, which sends a dangerous message that the law can be ignored with impunity,” Gbadamosi lamented.
In response to these issues, MRA has called on the Federal Government to take specific actions to strengthen the implementation of the FOI Act. The organization has outlined 12 recommendations in its report, urging the government to allocate resources to the Federal Ministry of Justice to enhance its role in monitoring FOI compliance across all public institutions.
Gbadamosi suggested that the Ministry of Justice should be empowered to assess the performance of all public institutions in implementing the FOI Act, track their response times, identify bottlenecks, and gather comprehensive data on the usage and effectiveness of the law. “The government must ensure that there is accountability for the use of public funds and that the rights of Nigerians to access information are upheld,” he concluded.