Freedom of Information Law in Nigeria
ABSTRACT:
The Freedom of Information has been the foremost battle for Journalists in their struggle to inform the public about the activities and policies of government.
The Nigeria’s Freedom of information Act was a long awaited bill which was finally signed into Law in 2011, thus putting an end to the era of secrecy in the act of governance in Nigeria.
The basic aims of this study therefore are
1) To carry out an in depth review of Freedom of Information Act 2011,
(2) Critically examines its implications for ethical Journalism practice in Nigeria. The method used in carrying out this study includes assessing the content of freedom of information Act which form the Secondary source of data and the findings therein regulating the code of ethics in Journalism, thus recommending that strict adherence to the provision of the FO1 Act would consequently reduces the unethical practices that journalist in Nigeria often enmeshed in while striving to gather informations from government and private/public organizations.
INTRODUCTION:-
Over the years, there has been vehement struggle for Press Freedom all over the developed and developing nations of the world. There is hardly any country in the world that this struggle has not yield positive result, but in most developing nations like Nigeria, the press is yet to enjoy total freedom. This is quite unconnected with the enactment of obnoxious laws by the ruling elites to protect the selfish interest of those in power (Momoh 2002).
Press laws are legislations made by the government at the Federal, State and Local levels to regulate the activities of the Press in a particular country.
However, the struggle for Press Freedom in Nigeria is as old as the struggle for independence. The early Newspapers in Nigeria used their editorial columns to clamour relentlessly for Independence for the country. In 1960 their effort yielded results with the granting of independence to Nigeria, and many years latter, the constitution
The Freedom of Information has been the foremost battle for Journalists in their struggle to inform the public about the activities and policies of government.
The Nigeria’s Freedom of information Act was a long awaited bill which was finally signed into Law in 2011, thus putting an end to the era of secrecy in the act of governance in Nigeria.
The basic aims of this study therefore are
1) To carry out an in depth review of Freedom of Information Act 2011,
(2) Critically examines its implications for ethical Journalism practice in Nigeria. The method used in carrying out this study includes assessing the content of freedom of information Act which form the Secondary source of data and the findings therein regulating the code of ethics in Journalism, thus recommending that strict adherence to the provision of the FO1 Act would consequently reduces the unethical practices that journalist in Nigeria often enmeshed in while striving to gather informations from government and private/public organizations.
INTRODUCTION:-
Over the years, there has been vehement struggle for Press Freedom all over the developed and developing nations of the world. There is hardly any country in the world that this struggle has not yield positive result, but in most developing nations like Nigeria, the press is yet to enjoy total freedom. This is quite unconnected with the enactment of obnoxious laws by the ruling elites to protect the selfish interest of those in power (Momoh 2002).
Press laws are legislations made by the government at the Federal, State and Local levels to regulate the activities of the Press in a particular country.
However, the struggle for Press Freedom in Nigeria is as old as the struggle for independence. The early Newspapers in Nigeria used their editorial columns to clamour relentlessly for Independence for the country. In 1960 their effort yielded results with the granting of independence to Nigeria, and many years latter, the constitution
References: - Akinfeleye and Okoye (2001) Issues in Nigeria Media History: 1900 – 2000 AD, Lagos, Maltouse Publishers Alabi, S (2003) “Press Freedom: Background Legal Bases and Constraints” UNILAG Communication Review Anaeto, Onabanjo, Osifeso (2008). Models and Theories of Communication. Maryland: African Renaissance Books Inc. Momoh, T. (2002) Nigeria Media Laws and Ethics Lagos, Efua Media Assoc Onagoruwa, T. (1997). New Directors for Journalism in Nigeria.