Stakeholders Urge Transparency in Nigeria's Public Institutions

At a recent conference in Lagos, stakeholders emphasized the necessity for public institutions in Nigeria to prioritize proactive disclosure to combat misinformation and disinformation. The event, organized by the Media Rights Agenda (MRA) and the International Press Centre (IPC) to commemorate the 2026 International Day for Universal Access to Information, highlighted that systemic secrecy and poor compliance with the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act, 2011, undermine public trust.

IPC Executive Director Lanre Arogundade stated that fighting fake news requires public institutions to fulfill their constitutional duty by providing credible data. Participants, including journalists, lawyers, and civil society organizations, expressed concern over government agencies denying requests without legal basis and ignoring proactive publishing guidelines.

Delegates resolved to initiate coordinated legal actions against wrongful denials and urged media houses and civil society organizations to leverage the FOI Act for investigative reporting. They called for the Attorney-General to enforce compliance, the judiciary to expedite FOI lawsuits, and public institutions to establish dedicated FOI desks and digitalize record-keeping.