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Access to Information under the Nigerian Freedom of Information Act, 2011: Challenges to Implementation and the Rhetoric of Radical Change

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 November 2019

Uchechukwu Nwoke Open the ORCID record for Uchechukwu Nwoke [Opens in a new window]
Uchechukwu Nwoke*
Affiliation:
University of Nigeria
*
stanuccimcoke@yahoo.com; uchechukwu.nwoke@unn.edu.ng
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Abstract

Information is essential for the functioning of modern societies. Access to information denotes the right of citizens to obtain information regarding how they are governed. In 2011, Nigeria enacted the Freedom of Information Act, to ensure openness and transparency in public governance. This article evaluates the extent to which the legislation has strengthened the right of access to information in Nigeria. Through analysis of the provisions of the act and some decided cases, the article argues that challenges, both in the act's provisions and in its enforcement by the courts, have resulted in a “blunted” law that lacks the capacity to satisfy the people's expectations on the right of access to public information. Drawing on the experience of other jurisdictions where similar laws are operative (notably South Africa and India), the article suggests ways through which the implementation of the act could be made more effective.

Keywords

Access to informationfreedom of expressionsecrecypublic authorityjudiciaryNigeria
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of African Law , Volume 63 , Issue 3 , October 2019 , pp. 435 - 461
Copyright
Copyright © SOAS, University of London 2019 

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Footnotes

*

LLB (Nig), BL, LLM (Wales), PhD (Kent). Lecturer, Faculty of Law, University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus.

References

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2 Ibid.

3 Omotayo, FO “The Nigeria freedom of information law: Progress” (2015) 1219 Library Philosophy and Practice 1 at 1Google Scholar.

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8 MK Mason “Ethics of librarianship: Libraries, intellectual freedom, and censorship in the age of technology” (2019), available at: <http://www.moyak.com/papers/ethics-librarianship.html> (last accessed 19 September 2019). See also MM Smith “Information ethics: Freedom, democracy, responsibility” (1993) 51/1 North Carolina Libraries 4 at 4.

9 L Millar “The right to information: The right to records: The relationship between record keeping, access to information, and government accountability” (2003), available at: <http://www.humanrightsinitiative.org/programs/ai/rti/articles/record_keeping_ai.pdf> (last accessed 19 September 2019).

10 Ibid.

11 Osita, NO Human Rights Law and Practice in Nigeria: An Introduction (1999, CIDJAP Press) at 181Google Scholar.

12 Omotayo “The Nigeria freedom of information law”, above at note 3 at 2.

13 Ibid.

14 Nwabueze, BO Presidential Constitution of Nigeria: An Introduction (1981, C Hurst & Company) at 458Google Scholar.

15 Omotayo “The Nigeria freedom of information law”, above at note 3 at 2.

16 Ibid.

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19 FoI Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (LFN), 2011.

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21 Madu, RA “Critical assessment of Nigeria's Freedom of Information Act 2011” (2011) 1/1 Sacha Journal of Human Rights 118 at 131Google Scholar.

22 Madubuike-Ekwe, NJ and Mbadugha, JN “Obstacles to the implementation of the Freedom of Information Act, 2011 in Nigeria” (2018) 9/2 Nnamdi Azikiwe Journal of International Law and Jurisprudence 96 at 98Google Scholar.

23 Cap O3, LFN 2004.

24 Finkelstein, R Report of the Independent Inquiry into the Media and Media Regulation (2012, Commonwealth of Australia) at 24Google Scholar. For a more detailed account of the evolution of FoI laws, see Holdsworth, WS A History of English Law (vol 1, 1945, Sweet & Maxwell), chap 1Google Scholar; Lange, D “The speech and press clauses” (1975) 23 University of California Los Angeles Law Review 77Google Scholar.

25 S Katuu “Freedom of information in Kenya: A knol” (July 2009) Researchgate, available at: <https://www.researchgate.net/publication/315374809_Freedom_of_information_in_Kenya_-_a_knol> (last accessed 19 September 2019).

26 E Ojo “Freedom of information: Current status, challenges and implications for news media” (2010), available at: <http://www.unesco.org/new/fileadmin/MULTIMEDIA/HQ/CI/WPFD2009/pdf/wpfd2010_backgroung_World+Press+Freedom+Day+2010+Presentation+-+EO.pdf> (last accessed 19 September 2019).

27 W Ginsberg “The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA): Background, legislation, and policy issues” (2015, Congressional Research Service), available at: <https://fas.org/sgp/crs/secrecy/R41933.pdf> (last accessed 19 September 2019). See below for discussion of the position in South Africa and India.

28 “Alphabetical and chronological lists of countries with FOI regimes” (2018, freedominfo.org), available at: <http://www.freedominfo.org/?p=18223> (last accessed 26 September 2019). See also MO Dawodu “An overview of the Freedom of Information Act: An appraisal from a lawyer's perspective (2016, SPA Ajibade & Co), available at: <http://www.spaajibade.com/resources/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/An-Overview-of-the-Freedom-of-Information-Act-2.pdf> (last accessed 19 September 2019).

29 UN doc E/CN.4/1995/32, para 35.

30 Specifically under UNDHR, art 19.

31 Law 11/02 of 16 August 2002 on Access to Documents Held by Public Authorities, available at: <https://africafoicentre.org/download/angola-law-english/?wpdmdl=613> (last accessed 19 September 2019).

32 Proc No 590/2008 of 2008 to Provide for Freedom of the Mass Media and Access to Information, available at: <http://www.refworld.org/docid/4ba7a6bf2.html> (last accessed 19 September 2019).

33 Organic Law 2010/004/CNT of 24 November 2010 on the Right of Access to Public Information, available at: <http://workspace.unpan.org/sites/internet/Documents/UNPAN046861.pdf> (last accessed 19 September 2019).

34 Liberia Freedom of Information Act, 2010, available at: <http://www.liberianembassyus.org/uploads/documents/Liberia%20Freedom%20of%20Information%20Act%202010x.pdf> (last accessed 19 September 2019).

35 Ordinance 2011-22 on the Charter on Access to Public and Administrative Documents, available at: <https://www.right2info.org/resources/publications/laws-1/niger-law-on-access-to-public-documents> (last accessed 19 September 2019).

36 Nigeria was the ninth African country to enact FoI legislation.

37 Law No 22/2009 of 12 August 2009 on Media, available at: <http://aceproject.org/ero-en/regions/africa/RW/rwanda-law-nb022-2009-of-12-08-2009-regulating-the> (last accessed 19 September 2019).

38 The Right to Access Information Act, 2013, available at: <http://www.sierra-leone.org/Laws/2013-02.pdf> (last accessed 19 September 2019).

39 Promotion of Access to Information Act No 2 of 2000, available at: <http://www.justice.gov.za/legislation/acts/2000-002.pdf> (last accessed 19 September 2019).

40 The Access to Information Act, No 6 of 2005, available at: <http://www.freedominfo.org/documents/uganda_ati_act_2005.pdf> (last accessed 19 September 2019).

41 The Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act, cap 10:27, available at: <http://www.ilo.org/dyn/natles/docs/ELECTRONIC/62408/122046/F-2068636523/ZWE62408.pdf> (last accessed 19 September 2019).

42 K Mohan “Factsheet: Freedom of information in Africa” (2014) Africa Check, available at: <https://africacheck.org/factsheets/factsheet-freedom-of-information-laws-on-the-african-continent/> (last accessed 19 September 2019).

43 Iwe Irohin Fun Awon Egba Ati Yoruba [Newspaper for the Egba people and Yoruba].

44 Oduah, FM “Freedom of Information Act, Official Secrets Act and press freedom in 21st century Nigeria: How free is the press? (2015) 1/1 Communication Panorama: African and Global Perspectives 1 at 3Google Scholar; A-R Afolabi A brief history of printing in Nigeria (2011) The Nigerian Voice, available at: <https://www.thenigerianvoice.com/thread/41451/169311/1> (last accessed 19 September 2019).

45 These laws included the Newspaper Ordinance of 1903 and the Seditious Offences Ordinance of 6 November, 1909; see Akinwale, AA “The freedom of information law and democratization in Nigeria” (2013) 1/1 The Age of Human Rights Journal 49 at 55Google Scholar; Oduah “Freedom of Information Act”, above at note 44 at 3.

46 Ibid.

47 Other legislation that continues to impede access to information in Nigeria includes: secs 167 and 168 of the Evidence Act, cap 112 LFN 1990, and the Criminal Code Act, cap 77 LFN 1990. Essentially, the Criminal Code Act makes provisions relating to the disclosure of official secrets in Nigeria; under sec 97: “(1) Any person who, being employed in the public service, publishes or communicates any fact which comes to his knowledge by virtue of his office, and which it is his duty to keep secret, or any document which comes to his possession by virtue of his office and which it is his duty to keep secret, except to some person to whom he is bound to publish or communicate it, is guilty of a misdemeanour, and is liable to imprisonment for two years. (2) Any person who, being employed in the public service, without, proper authority abstracts, or makes a copy of, any document the property of his employer is guilty of a misdemeanour and is liable to imprisonment for one year.”

48 K Ajulo “FoI: The challenge of official secret act” (2011) Logbaby, available at: <http://logbaby.com/news/foi-the-challenge-of-official-secret-act_8457.html#.WwmP0-4vzIU> (last accessed 19 September 2019).

49 Oduah  “Freedom of Information Act”, above at note 44 at 3.

50 Ajulo “FoI”, above at note 48.

51 Omotayo “The Nigeria freedom of information law”, above at note 3 at 5.

52 Ibid.

53 Madu “Critical assessment”, above at note 21 at 134.

54 Ibid.

55 Again, the provisions of the FoI Act, sec 28 are clear on the fact that even a classified document is not exempt from disclosure and, where an official decides not to disclose, that official must give a reason for so doing. Similarly, id, sec 30(3) defines the meaning of a public institution for the purposes of the act.

56 Suit no FHC/ABJ/CS/402/2013.

57 Ajulo “FoI”, above at note 48.

58 R2K “Implementing Nigeria's Freedom of Information Act 2011: The journey so far”, reported in Omotayo “The Nigeria freedom of information law”, above at note 3 at 7.

59 Ibid.

60 Agba, JU, Ogri, EU and Adomi, KO “The Nigerian Freedom of Information (FOI) Act and the right to know: Bridging the gap between principle and practice” (2018) 73 New Media and Mass Communication 21 at 25–26Google Scholar.

61 Such cases include: General India Garba v Commissioner of Finance Benue State (suit no MAC/2564/M/2012); Public & Private Development Center Ltd / GTE (PPDC) v Federal Ministry of Finance (suit no FHC/ABJ/CS/856/13); Boniface Okezie v Central Bank of Nigeria (suit no FHC/L/CS/494/2012).

62 Dawodu “An overview”, above at note 28.

63 Ajulo “FoI”, above at note 48.

64 Ibid.

65 Ibid.

66 Ibid.

67 A Bamgboye “Nigeria: ‘Officials yet to come to terms with FOIA’” (12 September 2012) Daily Trust, available at: <http://allafrica.com/stories/201209120983.html> (last accessed 19 September 2019).

68 “R2K Nigeria releases report on the level of proactive disclosure by public institutions in Nigeria: Results disappointing” (2015) Right to Know, available at: <http://r2knigeria.org/index.php?start=8> (last accessed 19 September 2019).

69 “Head of service wants review of FOI timeline” (31 July 2013) Punch Newspapers, quoted in U Etemire Control, Transparency and Accountability in Public Spending in Nigeria: Judicial Enforcement of the FOI Act Thus Far: A Beacon of Hope? (2016, Nigerian Association of Law Teachers) at 596.

70 Interview with the executive director, Women Aid Collective (a non-governmental organization), Enugu, Nigeria (7 November 2018).

71 Interview with a civil society respondent from the Centre for Advocacy against Corrupt Practices, Abuja, Nigeria (12 November 2018).

72 Etemire Control, Transparency, above at note 69 at 596.

73 Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, sec 32.

74 Act No 2 of 2000, which came into force in March 2001.

75 Interview with a journalist from Vanguard (21 November 2018).

76 Ezeilo, JN, Nwoke, U and Anya, SN “The (un)constitutional appropriation and expenditure of public funds in Nigeria: Analysing the ‘security vote’ paradigm through the law” (2018) 62/2 Journal of African Law 225 at 242CrossRefGoogle Scholar; Dada, JA “Security votes in Nigeria: A desideratum for security or recipe for corruption?” (2015) 5/7 Public Policy and Administration Research 1 at 26Google Scholar.

77 Madu “Critical assessment”, above at note 21 at 138.

78 Interview in Abuja, Nigeria, in the course of this research (21 November 2018).

79 Etemire, U Law and Practice on Public Participation in Environmental Matters: The Nigerian Example in Transnational Comparative Perspective (2016, Routledge) at 142–43Google Scholar.

80 UK Freedom of Information Act, 2000, sec 10, available at: <https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/36/contents> (last accessed 19 September 2019).

81 Australian Freedom of Information Act, 1982, sec 19, available at: <https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2017C00364> (last accessed 19 September 2019).

82 Act No 2 of 2000, sec 26, available at: <http://www.justice.gov.za/legislation/acts/2000-002.pdf> (last accessed 19 September 2019).

83 See “South Africa: International focus” (2016, the Constitution Unit, University College London), available at: <http://www.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit/research/foi/countries/south-africa> (last accessed 19 September 2019).

84 Emphasis added.

85 Etemire Control, Transparency, above at note 69 at 596.

86 Unreported suit no FHC/ABJ/CS.582/2012 (1 March 2013).

87 Unreported suit no FHC/ABJ/CS/760/13 (15 December 2014).

88 Unreported suit no FHC/ABJ/CS/805/11 (25 June 2012).

89 Unreported suit no FHC/ABJ/CS/766/2012 (19 June 2012).

90 Etemire Control, Transparency, above at note 69 at 591.

91 Ibid.

92 Ibid.

93 Unreported suit no FHC/ABJ/CS/278/2013 (23 December 2013).

94 Etemire Control, Transparency, above at note 69 at 592.

95 Above at note 87.

96 Unreported suit no FHC/ABJ/CS/2013 (3 July 2013).

97 S Erugo “Environmental justice: FOI Act in Nigeria: Case study” (paper presented at the third UNITAR - Yale Conference on Environmental Governance and Democracy, 5–7 September 2014, New Haven, USA).

98 Etemire Control, Transparency, above at note 69 at 592.

99 National Bureau of Statistics “Report of the national literacy survey” (June 2010), available at: <https://docplayer.net/13707471-Report-of-the-national-literacy-survey-june-2010.html> (last accessed 19 September 2019).

100 Madubuike-Ekwe and Mbadugha “Obstacles to the implementation”, above at note 22 at 105.

101 Interview with the executive director, Women Aid Collective, above at note 70.

102 Interview with the legal adviser, Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, Abuja, Nigeria (27 November 2018).

103 Ibid.

104 In fact, this is what is applicable in Nigeria. Officials rarely keep proper records of information and this attitude permeates almost the entire landscape of the Nigerian public service.

105 It also recommends the deletion of provisions such as those in secs 167 and 168 of the Evidence Act and sec 97 of the Criminal Code Act. The abolition of the OSA is advocated because protection of classified information is already provided for in the exemptions that exist under the FOI Act, including in secs 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15. Where it is really necessary not to disclose classified information, any public authority wishing to refuse disclosure may rely on any of the exemptions provided in the FoI Act to refuse disclosure. This renders the OSA provisions superfluous.

106 Ajulo “FoI”, above at note 48.

107 Ibid.

108 Madu “Critical assessment”, above at note 21 at 144.

109 Interview conducted in Enugu, Nigeria in the course of this research (25 October 2018).

110 In fact, it appears reasonable to think that this attitude has led to a decrease in the number of applications to courts to mandate public authorities to disclose information. A search of court records in Nigeria shows a mere handful of cases on the subject in recent years, despite non-compliance with the provisions by public authorities.

111 (1975) 4 SCC 428.

112 Id at 453, para 74.

113 (1997) 4 SCC 306 at 5, para 16. Another case dealing with access to information in India decided by the Supreme Court of India is Secretary, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Government of India v Cricket Association of Bengal (1995) 2 SCC 161.

114 AIR 1982 SC 149, 1981 supp (1) SCC 87.

115 Id at 284, para 74.

116 Iyer, VRK Freedom of Information (1990, Eastern Book Company) at 15Google Scholar.

117 Etemire Control, Transparency, above at note 69 at 593.