NGO Tasks El-Rufai, Lawmakers On Domestication Of FoI Act

A non-governmental organisation under the auspices of Transparency and Accountability in Totality Initiative (TinT) has tasked the Kaduna State government and the State House of Assembly on speedy domestication of the Freedom of Information (FoI) Act in the state.

TinT, a member of the Digital Rights and Information Partnership (DRIP) with funding from USAID (SCALE) project, is committed to advocating and supporting both state and non-state actors towards domesticating FoI in Kaduna.

Addressing a press conference in Kaduna, the FoI project officer, USAID-supported Civil Society and Local Engagement Project, Musa Sulaiman said, “Integral part of this effort is strengthening and actualizing the public’s right to access information as empowered by the Freedom of Information Act at the national level which is in the process of domestication in Kaduna State.

“As a progressive state, the Kaduna State government came up with the first draft in 2018 and the amended copy in 2021 which from findings is currently at the committee level in the Kaduna State House of Assembly.

Though it is on record that Kaduna State government is making concerted effort towards the domestication of this Act over the years, our prayers is that this administration cements its Legacy by domesticating the FOI to enhance transparency which is the fibre of its administration.”

He said the domestication of the FoI Act was part of the milestone of the Open Government Partnership (OGP) commitment on access to Information in the First State Action Plan (SAP, 2018-2020), which was not achieved and not captured in the State Action Plan II. He added that civil society groups, individuals, and technical working groups (TWG) under the auspices of the OGP are currently working to ensure the domestication of the Bill is captured in State Action Plan III.