THE EFFECT OF THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT ON THE FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION IN NIGERIA

Abstract

The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)1 was enacted to ensure transparency and accountability in government. The Act does this by making provisions for citizens to have the warrant to request information from public officials. This paper finds that the effective enforcement of the FOIA will give room for government officials to be more accountable to the members of the public. It recognizes that while there are other means to hold public officials accountable to the people, the FIOA seems like the easiest to utilize. The paper further identifies the challenges that may be associated with the Freedom of Information Act such as the Nigerian culture of secrecy, bureaucracy and lack of adequate record keeping among others. The authors suggest that the FOIA can have a positive impact on the fight against corruption in Nigeria if certain amendments are made to the Act and if the provisions of the Act are enforced strictly. This paper recommends that there should be more awareness for the FOIA among members of the public and not just journalists or civil societies. Further to this, the FOIA should be amended to give room for administrative sanctions to be meted out on officials who fail to comply with the provisions of the Act and also to allow extension of time for reply to request for information by an individual where the circumstance warrants it.