• Stakeholders Slam State Over Hidden Contracts, Cite FOI Law Violation, Accountability Crisis
Despite previous compliance with national open contracting standards, Lagos State government, through the state Public Procurement Agency, has abruptly stopped publishing detailed records of awarded contracts on its portal.
Having consistently populated its open contracting data in line with Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS) guidelines and World Bank–supported transparency initiatives until 2023, the portal now offers no awarded-contract listings—undermining public oversight and raising critical questions about governance and procurement integrity.
Surprisingly, in mid-2023, the state procurement portal was celebrated for its OCDS implementation, making contract awards above key thresholds publicly visible to all. Now, barely two years later, those records have vanished and were never updated.
The questions on the lips of the citizens, civil society groups, and watchdogs are; what changed and why has the flow of information dried up?
The procurement agency was established on April 2, 2012 under the Lagos State Public Procurement Law, 2011.
The objectives of the agency are to ensure probity, accountability and transparency in Public Procurement throughout Lagos State. As a result, the agency is, therefore, charged with the responsibility of formulating policies and guidelines relating to procurement in Lagos State as well as certifying all procurements prior to, during and after the awards of contract.
Its scope of operation, according to information on its website, shall include the state government, local government councils/development authority and all procuring entities in the state.
It added that the law is based on the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) model, which is a properly regulated procurement system benchmark on international best practice.
It, however, should be noted that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu signed an amended bill on Lagos State Public Procurement on March 15, 2021. The new law, the government is said, was as a the result of Lagos State government’s resolve to promote the ease of doing business, engender best practices and ensure the workability of public procurement while ensuring that the tenets of probity, accountability and fairness remain constant.
Commenting on the development, Africa Editor, Centre for Collaborative Investigative Journalism, Ajibola Amzat, said Lagos state government breaches the Freedom of Information (FOI) law by removing contract award documents from the public domain.
He maintained that Section 2(2) of the FOI law mandates all government agencies to make all information in their custody accessible to the citizens.
He added that the state government can no longer invoke non-domestication of the FOI law as a defence because the Supreme Court has settled that matter. “FOI Act applies to all level of government in Nigeria,” he insisted.
“I hope civil society groups would challenge this unlawful action in court. This action shows that Lagos State is not ready to be transparent. This is another blight on Sanwo-Olu’s government. He would leave this government with a record of secrecy and poor accountability. I hope he directs the agencies involved to immediately comply with the law.”
Also commenting, Senior Programme Manager, Community Life Project, Francis Onahor, stated that the decision to pull down contract award documents and limit public access to budget information raises important concerns about transparency and public accountability under the current administration.
“Lagos State, as a leading sub-national government in Nigeria, sets the tone for others. However, the consistent publication of only abridged budgets, without the full details, already limits the public’s ability to understand how funds are allocated. The contract award records served as one of the few remaining tools for tracking actual government spending, removing them sends an unfortunate signal.
“While the governor may have reasons for this action, the optics suggest a shift away from openness at a time when citizens are demanding more, not less, transparency. Secrecy is not just a step backward; it is a step in the wrong direction. Good governance thrives on public trust, and that trust is strengthened when governments are open about how decisions are made and how resources are used.
“This move undermines trust, violates the principles of transparency, and weakens democratic accountability. Accountability is not optional; it’s a responsibility.”
“We hope this decision will be reconsidered in the interest of building a more open, inclusive, and accountable state,” Onahor said. When The Guardian contacted the Assistant Director, Public Affairs, Lagos State Public Procurement Agency, Mrs. Afusat Akanji, that some stakeholders observed that old contract documents were pulled down from its website since last year, she claimed that the documents were archived.
On why new contract documents were not posted since it was usually posted monthly before now, especially as the reporter had in the last five months being tracking the agency’s website, Akanji claimed that it has the documents and ready to make it available when demanded.
She was, however, not willing to respond to further questions, saying; “For all your questions, you write the office formally so that they will respond to it.”
Responding to Akanji’s position, Amzat maintained that her explanation contradicts the position of the law. “The Act mandates the publication of public information, and contract award documents are a very important public record. Section 2(1-4) of the FOI law is clear,” Amzat observed.
