By Rita Enemuru, Reporting
THE Media Rights Agenda (MRA) has raised the alarm over what it describes as a “woeful” allocation for the implementation of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act in the 2026 federal budget, accusing the government of institutionalising a culture of secrecy.
In a damning report released on Tuesday, the rights organisation revealed that less than one per cent of all federal public institutions have set aside any dedicated funds to meet their statutory obligations under the 2011 Act. According to MRA, only 13 ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) made specific budgetary provisions for FOI implementation or related activities, leaving over 99 per cent of more than 1,300 public institutions without a financial plan to comply with the law.
The group noted that while the Federal Government’s total budgeted expenditure for 2026 stands at a staggering ₦58.47 trillion, the combined allocation for FOI implementation across the 13 institutions amounts to just ₦191.1 million—a mere 0.00033 per cent of the national budget.
In a statement issued in Lagos, MRA’s Deputy Executive Director, Mr Ayode Longe, said the FOI Act imposes clear responsibilities on public institutions, including the proactive publication of information, proper record-keeping, personnel training, the appointment of FOI Desk Officers, and the submission of annual implementation reports to the Attorney-General of the Federation.
“Effective compliance with these obligations requires dedicated financial resources. Without adequate funding, these responsibilities cannot be meaningfully discharged,” Mr Longe said.
He pointed out that the absence of budget lines for FOI implementation in previous years has led to persistently poor record-keeping systems, a lack of awareness among public officials, delayed responses to information requests, and a general erosion of the public’s right to know.
Mr Longe argued that the failure to allocate funds was not a mere administrative oversight but a calculated effort to starve public institutions of the resources needed for compliance.
“By failing to fund the FOI Act, the Federal Government is effectively emasculating the law and rendering it inoperative,” he said. “You cannot run an open government or combat corruption while simultaneously starving the very mechanism that enables citizens to engage with government, see where money is going, and know what the government is doing on their behalf.”
MRA expressed particular disappointment over the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), which, as the primary oversight body mandated by Section 29 of the Act, failed to allocate any funds for its own regulatory functions.
“The failure year after year of the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation to lead by example is particularly galling, as it signals to other public institutions that they can ignore the FOI Act with absolute impunity,” Mr Longe added.
The report, titled ‘A Vote Against Transparency: A Report on Allocations for Freedom of Information Implementation in 2026 Federal Budget’, also includes guidelines and a budget template developed by MRA to help public institutions properly allocate resources for FOI compliance.
To address the situation, MRA has called on the National Assembly to refuse to pass the budgets of any public institution—starting with the Federal Ministry of Justice—unless specific line items for FOI implementation are included.
The organisation also urged the Attorney-General to work with the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation and the Budget Office to issue a clear directive mandating dedicated and adequate budget lines for FOI compliance across all MDAs. It further proposed the establishment of a dedicated “FOI Act Oversight Fund” within the Federal Ministry of Justice to enable the AGF to properly carry out statutory oversight duties.
Mr Longe reaffirmed MRA’s commitment to working with stakeholders to promote transparency, accountability, and the full realisation of the right to information in Nigeria.
What's your reaction?
