BPSR, NEITI, DMO Top FOI Compliance, Transparency Ranking

A ranking by the Public and Private Development Centre (PPDC) on the compliance with the Freedom of Information (FOI) law shows that Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR) and Nigeria Extractive Transparency Initiative (NEITI) have emerged first and second most compliant organisations in the country.

Also, Debt Management Office (DMO) came third on the ranking. The organisations were named joint winners, yesterday, by the PPDC, during the launch of the 2022 Freedom of Information, FOI Compliance Ranking held in Abuja.

The chief executive officer (CEO), PPDC, Jubril Shittu, said the BPSR and NEITI came tops because they proactively disclosed requested information on their portal.

Others in the ranking were the National Orientation Agency, NOA, which came fourth; while the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission, NIPC, came fifth; Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission, CRC, came sixth; National Commission For Colleges Of Education, NCCE, came seventh; Bureau Of Public Enterprise, came eighth; Corporate Affairs Commission, CAC, came 10th.

Shittu said the PPDC had been consistently advocating the disclosure of public finance expenditure information to promote a more transparent and accountable government, as well as increase citizens’ participation, thereby leading to improved public service delivery.

He added that these rankings are to commemorate the International Right to Know Day, noting that it is conducted to ascertain the compliance of public institutions to the Freedom of Information Act (2011) based on the disclosure of public finance expenditure information.

Shittu said, “Today is September 28, which is globally known as the access to information day all over the world.”

In his keynote address, the minister for state, budget and national planning, Prince Clem Agba, represented by the deputy director, Agric and Rural Development, Mrs Oluyide Adesola, said the federal government is making necessary efforts to ensure the data of Nigerians are protected.

He said, “The government has taken cognizance of emerging data protection laws and regulations in the international community geared towards protecting privacy, identity, lives and property as well as fostering the integrity of commerce and industry in the data and digital economy and has realised the imperative importance of developing data protection rules and regulations to protect the personal data of Nigerian citizens and residents.