Media Rights Agenda has called on the Attorney General of the Federation to publish the names of public institutions failing to comply with the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act, 2011.

The organisation’s Executive Director, Edetaen Ojo, made the call at a two-day stakeholders’ technical meeting focused on amending the FOI Act and strengthening its reporting and compliance mechanisms. The event is supported by the European Union’s Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN II) programme.

Ojo emphasized that while the FOI Act contains strong provisions, it lacks robust enforcement mechanisms. He noted that the Act currently relies too heavily on litigation by individuals to ensure compliance, creating a gap in institutional accountability.

He proposed that amendment bills should not only strengthen compliance systems but also introduce sanctions for persistent non-compliance. He argued that the absence of administrative appeals and sanctions mechanisms significantly weakens the law’s effectiveness.

Citing data from the Global Right to Information (RTI) rating, Ojo revealed that Nigeria’s FOI Act ranks 64th out of about 140 countries, scoring 88 out of 150. In contrast, several African nations like Gambia, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and South Africa rank higher, with more comprehensive access-to-information laws.

He also pointed out that existing implementation guidelines from the Attorney General’s office attempt to bridge some of the Act’s gaps. However, he urged that such guidelines be reviewed and possibly incorporated into the amended law to give them legal authority.

According to Ojo, two amendment bills currently before the House of Representatives aim to address these concerns. A key issue is compliance with Section 29 of the Act, which mandates public institutions to submit annual FOI usage reports to the Attorney General by February 1 each year.

He questioned whether institutions are submitting these reports on time, meeting content requirements, and following due process issues he says must be tackled head-on to strengthen transparency and public access to information.