Freedom Of Information Act, 2011

The recently passed Freedom of Information Act has been said to be the right, that enables members of the Nigerian public to have access to information held by government bodies, because of this, it is now recognized as a fundamental human right to which Nigerians are entitled to. The public is entitled to the truth, and only correct information can form the basis for sound journalism and ensure the confidence of the people.

Sadly, 7 years down the line, the FOIA has been grossly under-utilized. Apart from the fact that many Nigerians are not aware of the existence of the FOIA and their rights under it, the Nigerian press and civil society groups seem to care less about the existence of an Act that should be a veritable tool for investigative journalism.

The Nigerian Press is far from being the fourth estate of the realm. Most Nigerian journalists have rather embraced the practice of ‘feeding-bottle-journalism’ where they are fed with stories, quotes, and gossips. There is little or no culture of investigative journalism for which the FOIA is a weapon in more advanced climates