Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre) has hailed the recent landmark judgment of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, affirming the applicability of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) 2011 to all tiers of government, including state institutions.

This monumental triumph for transparency, accountability and participatory democracy in Nigeria, the organisation said, overturned the 2018 ruling of the Court of Appeal.

In a statement signed by HEDA’s Chairman, Olanrewaju Suraju, the organisation described the judgment as a long-deserved victory for the Nigerian people.

HEDA commended the Supreme Court for its bold and progressive interpretation of the law, saying the ruling dismantled the excuse by state institutions that the Freedom of Information Act does not apply to them due to the absence of state-enacted versions. “This judgment signals the end of opacity in state-level governance, empowering every Nigerian to hold government agencies accountable,” the statement read.

The organisation urged pressure groups, civil society actors, journalists and citizens to judiciously use the FOI Act in demanding transparency in public administration.