| Abstract: |
The study was carried out to determine the extent of utilisation of the Freedom of Information Act (FoIA) by some Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in Lagos, Nigeria. The study was anchored on Social Responsibility and Public Sphere theories. The objectives, among others, were to determine the extent of utilisation and application of the judicial provisions of the Freedom of Information Act for public communication. Interview schedule was used to elicit information from three CSOs – SERAP, CLO and MRA purposively selected. Findings indicate that some of the CSOs in Lagos state have applied the provisions of the FoIA to access information for public communication, but majority have not. The study thus, recommends amongst others, that the CSOs should, painstakingly, utilise the FoIA to access information, with a bid to increasing the frequency of use, detecting flaws and areas of difficulty, so as to proffer appropriate solutions germane for expanding the human right to know. |
