Former Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Kayode Fayemi has disclosed that nearly six months into the fiscal year, the federal government has not released funds for the 2025 national budget.
Speaking at a media and civil society roundtable on Friday in Abuja, Fayemi stated that no federal ministry, department, or agency (MDA) had received any allocation from the budget.
“June is in two days. Yet not one naira of the 2025 budget has been released to any MDA,” he said, describing the situation as a troubling disconnect between the National Assembly’s appropriation process and the executive arm’s implementation.
The roundtable, themed: “The Relevance of the FOI Act in Electoral Transparency and Accountability,” was organised by the International Press Centre (IPC) with support from the European Union under its Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN) Phase II programme, marking the 14th anniversary of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act.
Fayemi used the occasion to reflect on Nigeria’s democratic journey and the continuing push for openness in governance.
He commended the foundational role played by civil society organisations such as the Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO), Media Rights Agenda (MRA), and the IPC.
“This work is a long struggle in gestation,” Fayemi said. “CLO provided the space from which MRA and others emerged. Even IPC started from that push for accountability.”
The former Ekiti State Governor recounted publicly declaring his assets in 2010 during his time as governor, even when some advised against it. “I asked: what is ‘public’ about a secret asset declaration?” he said.
Fayemi credited the FOI Act with helping to expose “padded budgets, inserted projects, and ghost contracts,” citing recent revelations by civic tech platform BudgIT. However, he cautioned that transparency alone was not sufficient.
“You can have information without transparency, and transparency without accountability. Power knows the truth—it just chooses when to use it,” he said.
Highlighting reforms under his leadership, he pointed to the State Fiscal Transparency, Accountability and Sustainability (SFTAS) programme, which he chaired as head of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum.
Dr Fayemi noted that Ekiti was one of the first states to publish contract and procurement data online.
“Under SFTAS, we encouraged peer review among states. You could go on the Ekiti procurement portal and see who got what contract, for how much, and under what terms,” he said.
In his welcome remarks, IPC Executive Director, Mr. Lanre Arogundade, described the roundtable as a strategic platform for assessing how the FOI Act can enhance democratic governance, transparency, and accountability.
He also highlighted that the event marked the 14th anniversary of the Ekiti State FOI Law, which was enacted during Fayemi’s tenure as governor, making the state the first to domesticate the federal law.
“Ekiti State remains the first to have a state-level FOI law after the National Assembly passed it,” he said.
He also announced the belated presentation of a 2021 IPC FOI Champions Award to Fayemi in recognition of that milestone.
While noting the FOI Act’s impact, Arogundade pointed out its underutilisation by journalists, civil society groups, and citizens.
“The relatively low usage of the FOI Act is still a concern. But it remains a critical tool for transparency, especially in monitoring political financing and electoral processes,” he said.
Arogundade reaffirmed IPC’s commitment to using the EU-SDGN programme to strengthen media professionalism, counter disinformation, and support inclusive electoral coverage.
“We hope this roundtable will not only generate dialogue but also produce actionable steps and measurable outcomes to improve FOI compliance across Nigeria,” he added.
