Part Three

Text of the Freedom of Information Bill

Introduction

Various texts of the Freedom of Information bill have been produced over the years.  The first text, entitled “Draft Access to Public Records and Official Information Act”, was produced in 1994.  Following a two-day technical workshop jointly organised by MRA, the CLO and the NUJ in March 10 and 11, 1995 to debate the draft, it was revised later in 1995.

This draft was revised once again in 1999 to incorporate the recommendations of participants at the Workshop on Media Law Reform in Nigeria held at Ota in Ogun State in March that year.  After it was sent to some legislators in July 1999, the bill had to undergo another revision later that year in order to harmonise it with another draft produced independently by Honourable Ugokwe, which he had also sought to sponsor at the House of Representatives.

Following the harmonization, the bill was published in Federal Government’s Official Gazette, No. 91, Volume 86 of 8^th December 1999 as Government Notice No. 200 and described as “An Act to make Public Records and Information more freely available, provide for Public Access to Public Records and Information, Protect Public Records and Information to the Extent consistent with the Public Interest and the Protection of Personal Privacy, and Related Purposes hereof.”

It was this version of the bill that was considered during the first and second hearings at the House of Representatives on February 22 and March 13, 2000 and subsequently consigned to the House Committee on Information for more detailed consideration.

The Committee concluded its assignment and submitted its report to the House on July 25, 2000.   Included in the report was the gazetted bill and the Committee’s recommendations on the modifications that should be made to it before it is passed by the House.  The report and proposals for amendments formed the basis of the debates that took place in the House during the third reading on March 15, 2001.

Following the decision of the House to hold a public hearing on the bill, the independent legal consultant engaged by the Information Committee to prepare the report of the public hearing was also required to produce a revised draft of the bill based on the predominant sentiments expressed by speakers at the public hearing.  

The legal consultant produced the amended bill which he submitted with his report to the Committee in November 2001.  However, the bill has not been considered by the House.

The following is the text of the original gazetted bill with the proposals of the Information Committee submitted to the House on July 25, 2000 and debated at the third reading held on March 15, 2001.

Click here for the text of the original gazetted bill with the proposals of the Information Committee (MSWord format)