Search Results
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19 March 2011
Source Disclosure Clause in FOI Bill Riles Nigerian Press
Nigerian media groups are lambasting a provision inserted by the Nigerian Senate into its version of the freedom of information bill that would require journalists to disclose their sources , according to media reports such as one in The Nation. The president of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Garba Muhammed, called it a “watered […]
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16 March 2011
Nigerian Senate Passes Modified FOI Legislation
The Nigerian Senate March 16 passed a freedom of information bill considered weaker than the House bill and a “harmonization conference committee” has been appointed to resolve the differences. During debate March 15, the Senate amended the bill to eliminate a provision that would have required requesters to demonstrate “the need” for disclosure of the […]
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4 March 2011
Nigerian Senate President Says FOI Bill Needs Change
The president of the Nigerian Senate March 3 said that a freedom of information bill will pass before next month’s elections, but suggested that changes are necessary. While saying that half a bill would be better than no bill, he offered no specifics, according to news reports, but stressed a need for the media to be responsible […]
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1 March 2011
Adviser to Nigerian President Opposes FOI Legislation
Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on National Assembly Matters, former senator Mohammed Abba Aji, vowed Feb. 28 to scuttle freedom of information legislation. The leader of a key Senate committee, however, told The Vanguard newspaper that the bill will pass. FOI legislation recently passed in the House (See previous FreedomInfo.org report.) Chairman of the […]
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25 February 2011
Nigerian House Passes FOI Bill Without Opposition
The Nigerian House of Representatives Feb. 24 passed a freedom of information bill without opposition. Senate action is still required. The action by the House, however, was a major step forward after the bill seemed to have stalled in 2010. FOI legislation has been pending in Nigeria for 11 years and had not been debated […]
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18 February 2011
Nigerian House Speaker Promises Action on FOI Bill
The Speaker of the Nigerian House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, has said the House will get committee reports soon on Freedom of Information (FOI) legislation, according to media reports such as one by Shola Adekola in The Nigerian Tribune. The House is awaiting a report on the bill from two committees. Bankole said he expects […]
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11 February 2011
Nigerian House Votes to Advance FOI Legislation
The Nigerian House Feb. 10 voted to speed up action on freedom of information legislation that has been pending for 11 years. In an unexpected move, the House sent the measure for “thorough scrutiny” by two of its committees — Information and National Orientation and Justice — withdrawing a 2007 order that had held the bill up. The […]
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11 February 2011
Three Nigerian States Advancing Openness Reforms
By Toby McIntosh Frustrated with lack of action on freedom of information legislation at the national level, three states in Nigeria are taking steps to bring more transparency to the state level. Three states are considering action – Ekiti, Lagos and Rivers, according to Nigerian activists and media accounts. The state efforts are occurring […]
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17 January 2011
Nigerian House Member Pledges Action on FOI Bill
A key Nigerian legislator has promised to move forward with freedom of information legislation, according to media accounts. In related developments, Nigerian editors urged passage of a FOI law and a top government minister spoke out for FOI and media reform at a regional conference. The chairman of the House Committee on Information, Ahmed Aliu […]
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10 December 2010
Nigerian Senate President Says No 2010 Action on FOI
The Senate President of Nigeria, David Mark, has ruled out action this year on freedom of information legislation. Speaking to the Nigerian Union of Journalists, who gave him an award as the Most Outstanding Speaker of the Decade, Mark linked passage of the bill with the creation of a board to oversee the activities […]
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3 September 2010
Nigerian Legislator Blames Media for Holding Up FOI Bill
A key Nigerian legislator has indicated that passage of a Freedom of Information bill is conditional on the inclusion of provisions concerning media responsibility. His position drew a rebuttal from groups supporting the long-stalled FOI bill. Iyiola Omisore, chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriation, “has blamed journalists for the delay of the passage of […]
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20 August 2010
FOIA Prospects in Nigeria Called Grim
“The prospects for a Freedom of Information Act under the present government in Nigeria look grim, unless we can take decisive action to rescue the situation,” Media Rights Agenda Executive Director Edetaen Ojo told a conference in Lagos, according to a newspaper report. The distraction of the coming elections is a problem, he […]
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12 July 2010
Nigerian Legislator Discounts FOI Bill’s Chances
The long-running effort to pass a Freedom of Information law in Nigeria continues to face serious challenges, according to recent media reports. Ahmed Aliyu Wadada, the new chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Information and National Orientation, told reporters July 6 that passage this year was not guaranteed but that lawmakers were working […]
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17 July 2008
NIGERIA: FOI Proposal Now the Oldest Unpassed Bill
The freedom of information bill brought before the Nigerian National Assembly in 1999 has now become the oldest unpassed legislation still pending before that body, according to the influential newspaper This Day. A July 14, 2008 article by Jude Igbanoi describes the FOI bill as the subject of "unprecedented debate, wrangling and bickering between the […]
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11 May 2002
Nigeria
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28 September 2017
Alphabetical and Chronological lists of countries with FOI regimes
Alphabetical and Chronological lists of countries with FOI regimes Alphabetical No Chronological Afghanistan 2014 1 Sweden 1766 Albania 1999 2 Finland 1951 Angola 2002 3 United States 1966 Antigua 2004 4 France 1978 Argentina 2004 5 Australia 1982 Armenia 2003 6 New Zealand 1982 Australia 1982 7 Canada 1983 Austria 1987 8 Colombia 1985 Azerbaijan […]
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1 June 2017
FOI Notes: Metrics/Australia, Malaysia, Algorithms, Iran, US, Armenia, India, Latin America, Open Data, Tunisia, Taiwan
Australia: Australian information commissioners and ombudsmen agree on six proposed “Metrics on Public Use of Freedom of Information Access Rights,” available for comment at http://ipc.nsw.gov.au/open-government. The dataset for the 2015/16 metrics is scheduled to be released in December 2017. The scope of the metrics cover: Type of applicant Application rates per capita Release rates Refusal rates Timeliness Review […]
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2 February 2017
FOI Notes: Pakistan, Ghana, Tunisia, India, Togo, New Zealand, Transparency Research, Canada, US, UK
Pakistan: A Senate select committee unanimously agrees on the draft of an RTI bill, report The Nation and Online News. Pakistan: The Punjab Information Commission advises the provincial government to amend all laws and rules that disallow disclosure of information in conflict with Article 19-A of the Constitution and the right to information law, reports Dawn. […]
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19 January 2017
A Missed Opportunity for RTI in Ghana
By Ugonna Ukaigwe The author is a lawyer and a Project Consultant who consults for international, regional and national NGOs. She currently coordinates the work of the Right to Information Coalition, Ghana. The age-long Right to Information (RTI) Bill which has been described by many as the oldest Bill in Parliament suffered a major defeat […]
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5 January 2017
FOI Notes: Philippines, Brazil, Australia, Mexico, Argentina, US, Ireland, Canada, Ghana, India, Research
Philippines: The Office of Presidential Communications is tasked with supervising the implementation of freedom of information in all state agencies, according to an Inquirer article. Brazil: Article 19 launches the second edition of its Practical Guide to Access to Information Act (in Portuguese), a primer that provides guidance on how to use the Brazilian law […]