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EU Pledges To Support Implementation Of FOI Act In Nigeria

BY CHIKA OKEKE, Abuja


L-R: Executive Director of Media Rights Agenda (MRA) Mr. Edetaen Ojo and Head, Freedom of Information Unit, Federal Ministry of Justice, Mr Gowon Ichibor at a 2-day workshop for  Freedom of Information (FOI) Desk Officers of Public Institutions in Abuja yesterday. 

The European Union has promised to support the implementation of Freedom of Information (FOI) Act in Nigeria, saying that the adoption of the act raised hopes for Nigerians. 

Head of Democracy, Governance and Migration Section, Delegation of the European Union to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Mr Clement Boutillier disclosed this in Abuja yesterday at a 2-day workshop for FOI Desk Officers of Public Institutions on the establishment of Online Freedom of Information Forum/ Platform. 

The event was organised by the International Press Centre (IPC) Lagos in collaboration with Media Rights Agenda (MRA) and the FOI Unit of the Federal Ministry of Justice, with the support of European Union through component 4b: Support to Media of the European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN) Project.

Boutillier described the Nigerian Press as one of the most vibrant on the continent.
He was optimistic that the establishment of FOI platform for desk officers within public institutions would promote the exchange of best practices, encourage inter-agency collaboration and guarantee a better public service bureaucracy. 

Boutillier encouraged the Nigerian government to take drastic measures towards strengthening the implementation of the FOI act, even as he stressed the important role of the FOI act in fostering democracy and promoting a culture of dialogue.

He restated EU's commitment in supporting the safety and welfare of all individuals that rely on the act in discharging their official responsibilities, saying that the workshop would provide an opportunity for indepth knowledge of the FOI act. 

Declaring the event open, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Abubakar Malami said the workshop would not only help in ensuring effective implementation of the Act but would also improve desk officers’ compliance to their proactive disclosure obligations.

Malami, who was represented by Head, Freedom of Information Unit, Federal Ministry of Justice, Mr Gowon Ichibor noted that the implementation of the Act is a crucial tool in national development efforts.

According to him, "Pursuant to the provisions of the Act, the Ministry continuously encourages public institutions to comply with proactive disclosure obligations under Section 2 of the Act. It is noteworthy that an increasing number of public institutions have developed platforms for their proactive disclosure requirements under the Act."

Also speaking, the Executive Director of IPC, Mr Lanre Arogundade said the online platform would serve as catalyst for more proactive implementation of the provisions of FOI Act, 2011 by enabling faster sharing of information, ideas and experiences on mechanisms and methodologies of compliance. 

He envisaged that the platform would also serve as a permanent dialogue channel for public institutions to be updated with the latest developments on the implementation of FOI laws while helping to expedite action for collaborative resolution of possible challenges.

Arogundade said, "We consider all the above pertinent because on the supply side of the FOI Act are the weighty obligations imposed on public institutions and public officials to proactively disclose information and preserve public records in such a way that they can be easily accessed by citizens when desired". 

"In general and be it on the supply (public institutions) side and demand (citizens) side, the implementation of the FOI Act 2011 will, among others, ensure that public participation in governance is entrenched; the business of governance is open to public scrutiny; laid down procedures in the conduct of public affairs are adhered to; transparency and accountability in governance are institutionalised; corruption is stemmed and scarce resources are judiciously deployed for the well-being of citizens", he added. 

Represented by the Programme Manager of IPC, Stella Nwofia, he stated that public officials should proactively provide information while citizens should actively seek information through FOI requests to facilitate their mandate. 

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