Search Results
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15 October 2015
FOI Notes: Germany, Trade, Namibia, Nigeria, OGP, Zimbabwe, Brazil, US, Commentary
Germany: The Conference of Commissioners for Freedom of Information (Konferenz der Informationsfreiheitsbeauftragten – IFK) has commented on a plan by the Baden-Württemberg government to adopt a FOI act, and said the draft act falls short of the freedom of information standards established in Germany, according to a by lawyers from Squire Patton Boggs. The Conference […]
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6 October 2015
RTK Nigeria Paints Picture of Dismal Government Effort
The Right to Know Nigeria has released as study showing abysmal government performance on the disclosure of information. “Of a total of 39 government institutions assessed, the report finds that none had complied with the obligation to proactively disclose information – no institution obtained even a 20% compliance rating,” according to the Proactive Disclosure Assessment […]
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1 October 2015
Nigerian State to Adopt FOI Act, New Governor Says
The governor of the state of Kaduna Nasir El-Rufai has announced plans to adopt the federal Freedom of Information Act, according to an article in ThisDayLive. A bill to “domesticate” the FOI law is before the state House of Assembly. He stressed that “the domestication of the FoI Act will not only bring about transparency […]
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10 September 2015
FOI Notes: Open Budgets, Pakistan, India, Nepal, UK, US, Nigeria, Scotland, Open Data, World Bank
Open Budgets: The Open Budget Partnership announces the release of its 2015 survey, stating: Most countries surveyed provide insufficient information for civil society and the public to understand or monitor budgets, and only a small fraction of countries have appropriate mechanisms for the public to participation in budget processes. Formal oversight institutions also frequently face […]
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13 August 2015
FOI Notes: India, Nepal, US, Fiji, Australia, Turkey, Namibia, Nigeria, Bulgaria
India: “Right to Information is Slowly but Surely Being Suffocated,” an article in the Wire by former information commissioner Shailesh Gandhi. He writes that “ accountability and transparency have not yet become embedded in the DNA of those with power, and this is a change that will take much longer.” Gandhi says “there are now […]
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1 July 2015
Nigerian Agency Denies Access to Official Asset Forms
The Nigerian Code of Conduct Bureau has turned down a freedom of information request for the asset declaration forms of both President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, citing “personal privacy.” The declarations were sought by civil society organizations Stop Impunity Nigeria (SIN) and Centre for Social Justice (CENSOJ). The Bureau also argued that […]
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1 July 2015
FOIA Compliance Low in Nigeria
This commentary was posted June 29, 2015, on the website of Center for Social Justice in Nigeria. The Freedom of Information Act 2011, according to its long title, was made as an Act to make public records and information more freely available, provide for public access to public records and information, protect public records and […]
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21 May 2015
FI Notes: OGP Grants, India, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Trade, Alaveteli, Australia, Portugal, UK, US, IMF
Funding: The OGP Access to Information Working Group announced its Access to Information Working Group Microgrant: Demonstrating ATI Linkages to OGP Progress Call for Applications. Applications are due no later than May 31, 2015. “The microgrants, in the amount of US$1,500 for research papers and US$3,000 for projects, are aimed at demonstrating the importance of access […]
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14 May 2015
FOI Notes: Nigeria, India, Pakistan, US, Open Data, Ireland, EU, OGP
Nigeria: Right to Know Nigeria has created a FoI Case Tracker. The group also issued an animated pamphlet titled “FoI Act; Your Right to Know.” United States: The House Oversight Committee is soliciting stories about experiences with FOIA, providing an online feedback form. The committee also asked nearly two dozen public interest groups to share their […]
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8 April 2015
Judge Orders Nigerian Parliament to Report Constituency Payments
A Nigerian Federal High Court judge has ordered the National Assembly to disclose details of budgetary allocations made to individual legislators for physical projects and the details of the progress of the projects. Justice Abdu Kafarati issued the ruling in response to a of Information suit filed by the a nongovernmental organization, the Legal Defence and Assistance Project (LEDAP). The […]
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5 February 2015
Nigeria FOI Advocates Seek More Training of Judges
Nigerian Freedom of Information advocates on Feb. 2 called for “the sensitization of judges” about the Freedom of Information Act because many of them are issuing “decisions that are inconsistent with the spirit and letters of the Law.” In a communiqué at the end of their three-day Freedom of Information Implementers Strategy Meeting, held in […]
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15 January 2015
FOI Notes: Training, Spain, Aid, Extractives, Nigeria, UK, India, US, Open Data
FOI Training: The right to information is one of six topics in a training program developed by Development Initiatives “to develop and strengthen the skills, capacities and strategic visions of civil society organisations working in the areas of aid and budget analysis, monitoring and advocacy.” Nigeria: Seember Nyager, CEO at the Public and Private Development […]
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13 November 2014
Nigeria: a case of progressive implementation
By Edetaen Ojo and Ann Iyonu Ojo is Executive Director, Media Rights Agenda. Iyonu is Program Officer, The Right to Information Initiative (R2K), Nigeria. This is a chapter from a recently issued State of Right to Information in Africa Report 2014 and is reprinted with permission. (See previous FreedomInfo.org report.) Apart from the African Charter on Values and Principles of Public […]
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12 November 2014
Nigerian Judge Says FOI Law Not Applicable to States
Nigerian Federal High Court Justice Okon Abang on Oct. 31 ruled that the 36 states of the federation are not subject to the national Freedom of Information Act. The judge ruled the FOI Act is only binding on the federal government and its agencies, rejecting a suit by The Legal Defence and Assistance Project (LEDAP), […]
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21 October 2014
Analyzing FOI Law Compliance in Four Nigerian Agencies
This report is reprinted from the website of the Cleen Foundation. To download the full report, visit www.cleen.org In March 2014, the Access Nigeria (AccessNG) project trained and deployed 12 representatives of civil society organisations (CSOs) to collaboratively access information from the government agencies at the fore of the fight against corruption and trans-national organized crimes […]
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23 July 2014
The Next Step for Nigerian FOIA: Compliance/Enforcement Stupid!*
By Oluwasegun Obebe The Records, Information & Privacy Officer with the Department of Corrections, Washington, D.C., Obebe previously wrote an article for FreedomInfo.org about the Nigerian FOI law in August 2013. Obebe argues against automatic application of the federal law to the states. FreedomInfo.org has written about a trend toward such application in the courts […]
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27 June 2014
Nigerian Courts Upholding FOIA Application in States
The federal freedom of information should apply to the states, according to public interest group, citing a growing number of court decisions supporting that position and objected to a contrary interpretation by an official in the Lagos state government. The Civil Society Network Against Corruption (CSNAC) made the argument in a letter to the Lagos […]
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17 February 2014
Application of Nigerian FOI Law to States Contested
Whether the new Nigerian freedom of information law automatically applies to the states remains an issue in the courts and the subject of lawyerly debates. One court ruling held that the 2011 FOI law did apply to the states. (See previous FreedomInfo.org report.) A judge in Oyo ruled in November that the federal FOI law […]
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21 November 2013
Nigerian Judge Applies Federal FOI Law to States
A Nigerian judge has ruled that the federal freedom of information law covers state governments. The Oyo State High Court said the 2011 FOI law it does not need to be domesticated by any state before taking effect in all the states across the federation. The presiding judge S.A Akinteye said the National Assembly’s actions […]
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24 October 2013
The Nigerian National Assembly Needs to Follow FOI Law
By Yemi Ademolekun Adamolekun is the National Coordinator of Enough is Enough Nigeria. This article was first published Oct. 24 in Punch. The National Assembly was allocated N150bn ($1 bn) in the 2013 budget. Yes, it’s ONLY three per cent of the total budget of N4.987tn. However, the 469 men and women in the National […]