Nigeria: Information Commissioners urged to champion FOI

Nigerian Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku has called on the countries Commissioners for Information to champion the implementation of Freedom of Information in their respective states.

The call was made on Thursday 13 December, at the 43rd National Council on Information Meeting, in the capital city of Abuja.

Maku urged information commissioners in the federation to "manage information in such a way that would improve transparency and accountability in governance as well as provide opportunity for people to use public information organs to contribute to the governance process."

He noted that democracy differs from military dictatorship through "openness and free flow of information to the people so that they would be enlightened citizens."

And to further encourage transformation of the present administration, he said that the Federal Ministry of Information organized a Ministerial Platform for Cabinet Ministers to interact with Nigerians across the world on a multi-media platform to explain the activities and programmes of ministries, departments and agencies.