The Media Rights Agenda (MRA) has condemned inadequate allocation of funds for the implementation of the Freedom of Information Act in the 2026 federal government budget, warning that it undermines transparency and accountability in governance.
The organisation said over 99 per cent of public institutions lack dedicated funding to meet their obligations under the Act, describing the development as a deliberate attempt to institutionalise secrecy.
In a report released on Tuesday in Lagos, MRA disclosed that only 13 ministries, departments and agencies made specific budgetary provisions for FOI implementation, representing less than one per cent of over 1,300 federal public institutions.
According to the group, while the 2026 national budget stands at over N58.47 trillion, only N191.1 million was allocated to FOI-related activities across the 13 institutions, representing just 0.00033 per cent of the total budget.
MRA’s Deputy Executive Director, Ayode Longe, said the lack of funding makes it impossible for public institutions to effectively discharge their legal responsibilities under the Act.
“The FOI Act imposes clear obligations on public institutions, including proactive publication of information, proper record-keeping, training of personnel, and responding to public requests,” he said.
“Without adequate funding, these responsibilities cannot be meaningfully discharged,” he added.
Longe noted that the persistent absence of budgetary provisions over the years has resulted in poor record management, low awareness among public officials, delayed responses to information requests, and a gradual erosion of citizens’ right to access information.
He described the failure to fund FOI implementation as a calculated effort to weaken the law and entrench opacity in governance.
“By failing to fund the FOI Act, the Federal Government is effectively rendering the law inoperative. You cannot run an open government while starving the mechanism that enables citizens to hold it accountable,” he added.
MRA also expressed concern over the failure of the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation to make budgetary provisions for its oversight responsibilities, as mandated by the Act.
The organisation said the continued inaction of the office sends a negative signal to other public institutions, suggesting that compliance with the law is optional.
The report, titled “A Vote Against Transparency: A Report on Allocations for Freedom of Information Implementation in 2026 Federal Budget,” also provides guidelines and a budget template to assist public institutions in planning for FOI compliance.
MRA further called on the National Assembly to reject budget proposals from government agencies that fail to include provisions for FOI implementation.
It urged the Attorney-General of the Federation to work with relevant authorities to mandate all public institutions to include dedicated funding for FOI compliance in their annual budgets.
It recommended the establishment of a special FOI Act Oversight Fund within the Federal Ministry of Justice to strengthen monitoring and enforcement.
