Abstract

This article interrogates the extent to which the media and civil society organizations, as social institutions, have shaped the implementation of the Nigerian Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) since its enactment in 2011. Questions of interest to this study are: How easily accessible are public record and information held by public institutions since the enactment of FOIA in 2011? How has the Act affected the operations of selected institutions? What challenges do these institutions face in applying the law? What are the probable solutions to these challenges? Anchored on Social Responsibility Theory, the study adopted a qualitative approach of in-depth interview with twenty-four purposively selected representatives of six media organizations and six civil society groups. Findings revealed that the FoI Act remains relatively untested while public officials are mostly reluctant to release information in their custody. Revealed also are challenges hampering the effective implementation of the Act, which include: entrenched culture of secrecy, low level of public awareness, poor record keeping practice and absence of sanctions for defaulting public institutions. Recommendations made include the need to build capacity of state institutions, implement effective information management systems, create adequate enforcement and monitoring mechanisms, repeal of all conflicting laws among others.

Key Words: Limitation, Freedom, Information Act, Media, Civil Society

Authors’ Bio

*      Kabir Alabi Garba is the Deputy Editor, Guardian Newspapers Limited, Rutam House, Apapa-Oshodi Expressway, Isolo, Lagos, Nigeria.

**    Ismail Adegboyega Ibraheem, Ph.D, is an Associate Professor, Department of Mass Communication, University of Lagos, Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria.

^JCMR Journal of Communication and Media Research, Vol. 11, No. 2, October 2019, pp. 172 - 183