The Media Rights Agenda (MRA) has strongly condemned the recent call by Dr. Orji Ogbonnaya Orji, Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), for an amendment to the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act, 2011.
The proposed amendment seeks to introduce punitive measures against “fake civil society organisations” accused of misusing the Act to blackmail public institutions.
MRA, in a statement, described the proposal as a dangerous move aimed at undermining the fundamental objectives of the FOI Act, which is designed to promote transparency, fight corruption, and empower citizens through access to public information.
According to MRA, the suggestion also threatens to weaken the law and open the door to silencing legitimate requests for information.
The organisation expressed disappointment that the call for such an amendment came from NEITI, an agency that was established to strengthen accountability in Nigeria’s extractive sector.
“The proposal is not only ill-conceived but deeply troubling,” said Ms. Ayomide Eweje, Programme Officer at MRA. “It creates a vague and subjective narrative of ‘misuse’ that could be weaponized to intimidate journalists, researchers, and civil society actors who are simply exercising their lawful rights.”
Eweje challenged NEITI’s claim that “fake NGOs” have hijacked the FOIAct to blackmail public institutions.
She argued that the law allows any individual, not just civil society groups to request information, rendering the need to pose as an NGO completely unnecessary. “If the information disclosed is legitimately public, then it holds no blackmail value,” she added.
MRA emphasized that public institutions that comply with the FOI Act and operate transparently are not vulnerable to blackmail.
“You can only complain of blackmail if you have done something wrong or even criminal,” Eweje said. “The answer is not to shield such wrongdoing by weakening the Act.”
According to MRA, the existing criminal laws in Nigeria already cover offences such as blackmail and extortion. Therefore, the group insisted that if any individual is abusing the FOI Act for criminal purposes, they can and should be prosecuted under current laws. “There’s absolutely no justification for introducing criminal provisions into the FOI Act when they already exist in our legal framework,” Eweje stated.
“Dr. Orji’s position contradicts the global standards of openness that NEITI claims to uphold and could damage the credibility of the agency both locally and internationally,” MRA warned.
MRA urged NEITI and other government bodies to lead by example through full compliance with the FOI Act. The group advised public institutions to build internal capacity to manage information requests and cultivate a culture of transparency to foster public trust.
Eweje concluded by reaffirming MRA’s commitment to defending the FOI Act. “We and our partners across the country stand united in protecting this vital legislation from any attempt to dilute its power or penalise citizens for asserting their right to know,” she declared.