The Executive Director of the Citizens Centre for Integrated Development and Social Rights (CCIDESOR), Dr Emeka Ononamadu, has said that strict compliance with the Freedom of Information (FoI) Act has the capacity to address Nigeria’s prevailing economic, political and security challenges.

Ononamadu asserted at the weekend in Owerri while delivering an address at a stakeholders’ roundtable on the implementation of the FoI Act at the local government level. The event was organised by CCIDESOR in partnership with the Nigeria Situation Room and was themed “Reviving Local Governance: Citizen-led Advocacy for Local Government Budget, Accountability and Reform in Nigeria.”

The rights activist lamented that Nigeria’s development has been stifled by fraud, waste and abuse of public resources, which he described as pervasive across the economy, politics and the security sector.

“The widespread non-compliance with the FoI Act reflects institutional resistance, poor record-keeping, weak oversight and a lack of political will,” Ononamadu said.

“The future of good governance in Nigeria depends not on the mere existence of the FoI Act, but on the collective will to implement it. Three major obstacles holding Nigeria down are fraud, waste and abuse of public resources.”

He maintained that good governance would be significantly enhanced if the FoI Act is fully applied at all levels of government, particularly at the local government level, where citizens are closest to governance processes.

Presenting a paper titled “Freedom of Information Act in Nigeria: Proactive Disclosure, Compliance, Obligations and Action Points,” Ononamadu stressed that transparency, participatory governance, patriotism and public trust are critical to building a better Nigeria.

He explained that the FoI Act was not enacted to create new responsibilities for public institutions but to compel Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), as well as Local Government Areas (LGAs), to carry out their lawful duties to citizens.

According to him, priority areas under the Act include proactive disclosure of information, regular dissemination and updating of records, enforcement of compliance and mandatory reporting obligations.

He also highlighted the oversight roles of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice at the federal level, as well as Attorneys General and Commissioners for Justice at the sub-national level, noting that open governance helps reduce insecurity, address its root causes and strengthen accountability within the sector.

Speaking on behalf of the Imo State chapter of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Okechukwu Okere said the union had taken steps to address challenges facing health departments in local councils, lamenting that some health workers had not been paid salaries for up to seven months.

He commended CCIDESOR and its Executive Director for their persistence in advocating transparency and accountability, including strict compliance with the FoI Act.

In his lead paper, lawyer and rights activist, Eze Eluchie, described the FoI Act as an empowering tool for citizens.

“The FoI Act enables citizens to ask questions and demand information. It is a powerful instrument for good citizenship and social progress. When information is released in the interest of society, civil servants are protected by the law,” he said.