Business News Nigeria: Nigeria: Friday, 29 May 2026.
The Nigerian Constitution
guarantees the fundamental right to information, and the Freedom of Information
(FOI) Act 2011 reinforces this right. Yet it remains theoretical. Despite the
legal guarantees of the FOI Act, a report by Media Rights Agenda reveals almost
noncompliance across public institutions. This noncompliance reflects a deeper
freedom crisis.
In 2026, the federal government of Nigeria allocated $49 billion to the national budget, but only $139,000 went to FOI implementation. Such underfunding underscores the government’s low priority for citizens’ right to information and undermines their rights. Addressing this crisis requires mandating dedicated budget allocations for FOI implementation across all public institutions, strengthening oversight by the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation, and promoting citizen-led accountability and civic pressure.
The consequences of underfunding FOI implementation are immediate and structural. Limited resources often result in poor record-keeping, delayed responses, and weak transparency. Many public institutions lack the capacity and the incentive to comply with FOI obligations. Accountability becomes impossible without citizens’ access to information and the inability to scrutinise undisclosed public records, budgetary allocations, and administrative decisions. The risks are severe, as the lack of transparency fuels corruption, weakens journalism, and steadily erodes public trust. At a broader level, the denial of access to information weakens democracy, reducing it to a system where citizens can vote but cannot hold leaders accountable.
Mandatory FOI budgeting will allocate the resources to translate the right to information from legal intent into real implementation. The National Assembly should require every public institution to include dedicated budget lines for FOI activities, because laws without funding remain ineffective. Embedding FOI into budget planning shifts transparency from a policy obligation to an operational priority.
The National Assembly can refuse to approve budgets that exclude FOI funding, while the Budget Office can issue clear compliance guidelines for all ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs). Also, MDAs can allocate a minimum percentage of overhead costs specifically for FOI implementation, including record management and response systems.
Mandatory FOI budgeting will strengthen record-keeping systems, enable faster responses to information requests, and gradually institutionalise transparency across government institutions. India’s mandatory funding of the Right to Information (RTI) implementation in the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) under its Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances, and Pensions significantly improved access to information and government transparency. The ministry allocated $364,000 for the 2026-2027 budget year for DoPT’s implementation of the RTI Act. The government also ensured RTI’s effective implementation through capacity-building and public awareness campaigns. Implementing a similar budgeting approach for FOI in Nigeria will improve access to information.
Strengthening oversight and enforcement is essential for the effective implementation of the FOI Act. The Office of the Attorney General of the Federation (OAGF), as the oversight body for FOI implementation, plays a central role in setting the tone for compliance across public institutions. However, weak funding has significantly limited its enforcement capacity.
To address the underfunding gap, the OAGF should establish a dedicated FOI Oversight Fund to support monitoring and enforcement activities. Also, the OAGF should conduct mandatory annual compliance audits for all MDAs to assess their adherence to the FOI Act, with sanctions for MDAs that do not comply.
Strengthening oversight through monitoring and enforcement activities will improve accountability across MDAs, create consequences for non-compliance, and help restore public confidence in governance systems.
Transparency cannot rely solely on government action; sustained citizen and civil society pressure must also drive it. Governments often respond more effectively to pressure than to policy declarations, making public demand a critical enforcement tool for the implementation of the FOI Act.
Civil society organisations can lead campaigns to educate citizens on their FOI rights and push for compliance across public institutions. The media also plays a key role through investigative reporting that exposes noncompliance and highlights implementation gaps. In addition, public scorecards or rankings of MDAs can create healthy competition and shame non-performing institutions into action.
Civic engagement has consistently driven governance reforms in contexts where institutional enforcement is weak, such as Nigeria’s #EndSARS movement, which forced public scrutiny of police practices and triggered reform commitments. Strengthening citizen and civil society pressure will increase public awareness of FOI rights, deepen accountability through sustained scrutiny, and empower citizens to take a more active role in democratic governance.
A functional transparency system would help to improve access to information. Citizens will access public records without unnecessary barriers, while institutions will operate with greater openness and discipline. Transparency will reduce opportunities for abuse of power and improve the quality of governance.
(Ayomide Eweje is a writing fellow at African Liberty.)
In 2026, the federal government of Nigeria allocated $49 billion to the national budget, but only $139,000 went to FOI implementation. Such underfunding underscores the government’s low priority for citizens’ right to information and undermines their rights. Addressing this crisis requires mandating dedicated budget allocations for FOI implementation across all public institutions, strengthening oversight by the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation, and promoting citizen-led accountability and civic pressure.
The consequences of underfunding FOI implementation are immediate and structural. Limited resources often result in poor record-keeping, delayed responses, and weak transparency. Many public institutions lack the capacity and the incentive to comply with FOI obligations. Accountability becomes impossible without citizens’ access to information and the inability to scrutinise undisclosed public records, budgetary allocations, and administrative decisions. The risks are severe, as the lack of transparency fuels corruption, weakens journalism, and steadily erodes public trust. At a broader level, the denial of access to information weakens democracy, reducing it to a system where citizens can vote but cannot hold leaders accountable.
Mandatory FOI budgeting will allocate the resources to translate the right to information from legal intent into real implementation. The National Assembly should require every public institution to include dedicated budget lines for FOI activities, because laws without funding remain ineffective. Embedding FOI into budget planning shifts transparency from a policy obligation to an operational priority.
The National Assembly can refuse to approve budgets that exclude FOI funding, while the Budget Office can issue clear compliance guidelines for all ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs). Also, MDAs can allocate a minimum percentage of overhead costs specifically for FOI implementation, including record management and response systems.
Mandatory FOI budgeting will strengthen record-keeping systems, enable faster responses to information requests, and gradually institutionalise transparency across government institutions. India’s mandatory funding of the Right to Information (RTI) implementation in the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) under its Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances, and Pensions significantly improved access to information and government transparency. The ministry allocated $364,000 for the 2026-2027 budget year for DoPT’s implementation of the RTI Act. The government also ensured RTI’s effective implementation through capacity-building and public awareness campaigns. Implementing a similar budgeting approach for FOI in Nigeria will improve access to information.
Strengthening oversight and enforcement is essential for the effective implementation of the FOI Act. The Office of the Attorney General of the Federation (OAGF), as the oversight body for FOI implementation, plays a central role in setting the tone for compliance across public institutions. However, weak funding has significantly limited its enforcement capacity.
To address the underfunding gap, the OAGF should establish a dedicated FOI Oversight Fund to support monitoring and enforcement activities. Also, the OAGF should conduct mandatory annual compliance audits for all MDAs to assess their adherence to the FOI Act, with sanctions for MDAs that do not comply.
Strengthening oversight through monitoring and enforcement activities will improve accountability across MDAs, create consequences for non-compliance, and help restore public confidence in governance systems.
Transparency cannot rely solely on government action; sustained citizen and civil society pressure must also drive it. Governments often respond more effectively to pressure than to policy declarations, making public demand a critical enforcement tool for the implementation of the FOI Act.
Civil society organisations can lead campaigns to educate citizens on their FOI rights and push for compliance across public institutions. The media also plays a key role through investigative reporting that exposes noncompliance and highlights implementation gaps. In addition, public scorecards or rankings of MDAs can create healthy competition and shame non-performing institutions into action.
Civic engagement has consistently driven governance reforms in contexts where institutional enforcement is weak, such as Nigeria’s #EndSARS movement, which forced public scrutiny of police practices and triggered reform commitments. Strengthening citizen and civil society pressure will increase public awareness of FOI rights, deepen accountability through sustained scrutiny, and empower citizens to take a more active role in democratic governance.
A functional transparency system would help to improve access to information. Citizens will access public records without unnecessary barriers, while institutions will operate with greater openness and discipline. Transparency will reduce opportunities for abuse of power and improve the quality of governance.
(Ayomide Eweje is a writing fellow at African Liberty.)
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