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Transparency, on a 17-year hold in Ghana, takes strides in Nigeria

Ghana (1st quartile) hosted World Press Freedom Day celebrations, but the extreme delay in the passing of a right to information (RTI) law – which has been on the table for the last 17 years – remains a cause for concern. In his address on Independence Day (6 March), President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo reiterated the promise that the Bill would be sent to parliament.

Nigeria has had a RTI law since 2011, but in April the Nigerian Court of Appeals ruled that local (as well as national) government is required to respond to information requests. Nigeria has a Transparency score of 0.70 – well above the regional average.[1]

 

 

[1] Samuel Ogundipe, ‘Freedom of Information Act applicable to all states in Nigeria, Appeal Court rules’, Premium Times, 31 April 2018, available at https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/264863-freedom-of-information-act-applicable-to-all-states-in-nigeria-appeal-court-rules.html#.WtCcY1dksl4.twitter