Intersection of Open Data and Freedom of Information practice in Nigeria

Abstract

The Freedom of Information (FOI) Act was enacted in Nigeria in 2011. However, Nigeria has been publishing its national budget online since 2007. This paper presents results from a survey in which several stakeholder groups connected to the online national budget of Nigeria were asked to respond to questions of awareness and use of open data and the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act. The results show that respondents who were aware of Nigeria’s 2011 FOI Act made the link with open data practice but indicated that citizens were not taking enough advantage of the Act. Also, custodians of data or information were likely to seek ways to avoid meeting such requests. Nevertheless, Nigerians need to be more educated on the key elements of the Act for its proper and adequate utilization or invocation that could impact more positively on open data initiatives in Nigeria.