The Rural Development, Information and Legal Advocacy Centre (RUDILAC) has called on the Attorney-General of the Federation to take a more active role in enforcing Nigeria’s transparency laws following renewed concerns arising from the United States Government’s 2026 Fiscal Transparency Report.
![](https://thenigerialawyer.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/ELLAN.png")
![](https://thenigerialawyer.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/2026-Summer-IDRI-Masterclass.jpg")
RUDILAC said the assessment has again brought attention to longstanding concerns over access to public financial information, government accountability and the effectiveness of Nigeria’s transparency framework.
The organisation, however, cautioned against interpreting the U.S. report as a corruption ranking, explaining that the assessment focuses on whether governments meet minimum fiscal-transparency requirements, including public access to budget information, revenues and expenditures, debt obligations, procurement processes and contracts involving natural resources.
Under the U.S. framework, countries are assessed annually on whether they have made significant progress towards meeting prescribed fiscal-transparency standards.
According to RUDILAC, Nigeria’s principal challenge is not the absence of laws requiring transparency but the widening gap between rights provided under those laws and their practical enforcement.
“Nigeria has a transparency law, but citizens are increasingly being forced to litigate to obtain information that should ordinarily be available within a functioning transparency system,” the organisation said.
RUDILAC placed the Attorney-General of the Federation at the centre of the debate, arguing that the nation’s chief law officer occupies a critical position at the intersection of legality, enforcement and public accountability.
It clarified that it was not suggesting that the AGF personally causes every refusal by a government institution to disclose information or should be held legally responsible for every instance of non-disclosure.
The organisation said its concern was institutional.
“Where the Federal Government has enacted laws requiring public institutions to disclose information, comply with legal obligations and respect citizens’ rights, the Attorney-General cannot reasonably treat systemic non-compliance as somebody else’s problem,” RUDILAC said.
It also expressed concern that in some transparency cases before the courts, the AGF has opposed applications seeking access to public records and sought the dismissal of proceedings on technical grounds.
RUDILAC said the situation raises a broader question about the enforcement architecture established by the Federal Government to ensure that transparency laws operate effectively.
The organisation pointed to its expanding public-interest litigation as evidence of the difficulties citizens and civil society organisations face in obtaining government records.
Among the cases cited is Registered Trustees of Unemployed Youths of Nigeria v. Nigeria Sugar Development Council, Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/995/2026, in which the Federal High Court in Abuja granted leave to seek judicial review over access to information relating to the implementation of the Nigeria Sugar Master Plan, including public funding, projects and associated public resources.
RUDILAC also referred to Registered Trustee of Unemployed Youths v. Code of Conduct Bureau & Anor, concerning access to asset and liability declaration forms of public officers.
According to the organisation, the Federal High Court dismissed the action for lack of standing, while the Court of Appeal subsequently held that the forms could not be released without authorisation from the declarants.
It further cited RUDILAC v. HYPREP, involving requests for financial and contractual records connected with publicly funded Ogoniland environmental remediation projects. The Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt granted leave for judicial review in the matter.
Another case identified is RUDILAC & FOI Counsel v. Federal Republic of Nigeria, ECW/CCJ/APP/06/2026, challenging the alleged failure to publish the voters’ list online for easier verification and the imposition of what RUDILAC considers an excessive processing fee.
The organisation also listed President Aigbokhan v. Zacch Adedeji, Chairman, National Revenue Service, involving requests for procurement records relating to major infrastructure projects of the revenue agency, in which the Federal High Court granted leave for judicial review.
It further cited President Aigbokhan v. Khalil Suleiman Halilu & 2 Ors (NASENI), Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/957/2026, concerning records relating to the NASENI Statutory Fund, foreign investments, development financing, rural electrification, irrigation infrastructure, technology deployment and other major programmes between 2023 and 2026.
RUDILAC said the cases represent only part of its transparency litigation during 2026 and demonstrate the extent to which citizens and civil society organisations are being compelled to resort to litigation to obtain public records.
According to the organisation, the growing dependence on court action exposes a structural weakness in the enforcement of the Freedom of Information Act 2011.
It argued that while citizens can obtain judicial remedies in appropriate circumstances, the existing framework remains substantially dependent on state-controlled enforcement, particularly where breaches carry criminal consequences.
“The citizen bears the informational and accountability costs of non-disclosure, while the State retains disproportionate control over the mechanisms through which consequences for non-disclosure are imposed,” RUDILAC said.
It added: “Transparency cannot become a litigation surgical tool in which citizens must repeatedly employ lawyers and approach the courts merely to obtain records that the government is already legally required to make accessible.”
Against this background, RUDILAC announced plans to convene a National Civil Society Conference on Transparency and Accountability in Nigeria.
The conference is expected to bring together civil society organisations, investigative journalists, public-interest lawyers, academics, development partners, open-government practitioners and affected communities to consider practical reforms to Nigeria’s transparency system.
RUDILAC said participants would also consider a proposed Civil Society Transparency Charter, which would set measurable demands for proactive disclosure of public information, timely responses to Freedom of Information requests, publication of procurement records, accessible budget information, disclosure of audit records and effective consequences for unlawful non-disclosure.
The organisation maintained that Nigeria already possesses significant legal and institutional instruments to promote transparency, including the Freedom of Information Act, but said the major challenge remains ensuring that breaches attract meaningful consequences.
RUDILAC also pointed to Nigeria’s developing Freedom of Information jurisprudence, including the litigation in Austin Osakue & Ors v. Edo State Agency for the Control of AIDS (EDOSACA), as demonstrating that citizens can resort to the courts to enforce access-to-information rights.
It nevertheless argued that judicial enforcement alone cannot provide a sustainable national transparency system.
According to RUDILAC, the planned initiative is intended to move the national debate beyond repeatedly criticising or litigating government secrecy towards developing measurable institutional standards for transparency and accountability.
The organisation consequently called on the Federal Government, the Attorney-General of the Federation, public institutions, the National Assembly, the judiciary, civil society organisations and development partners to treat the U.S. fiscal-transparency assessment as an opportunity for institutional reform.
“The issue before Nigeria is no longer whether international partners have noticed the transparency gap,” RUDILAC said.
“The question is whether Nigeria will now close it, and whether the Attorney-General, as the nation’s chief law officer, will help lead that enforcement effort.”
Interested buyers are encouraged to place their orders and enquiries via:
0704 444 4777, 0704 444 4999, 0818 199 9888
Website: www.alexandernigeria.com
The book also examines Nigeria's legal ecosystem, focusing on the LPELR and NBA AI Guidelines. As a bonus, every purchase comes with a FREE eBook titled: How to Use the AI Features in LegalPedia and LawPavilion.
Ohio Books Ltd praises the publication, stating:
"....this is the only Nigerian book I know of on the topic."
How to Order:
📞 Call, Text, or WhatsApp: 08034917063 | 07055285878
📧 Email: benadigwe1@gmail.com
🌎 Website: www.benadigwe.com
Ebook Version: Access it directly online at https://selar.com/prv626
Authored by Ben Ijeoma Adigwe Esq., ACIarb (UK), LL.M, Dip. in Artificial Intelligence, Director at the Delta State Ministry of Justice, Asaba, Nigeria.
_______________________________________________________________________
“Order Justice Omolaye-Ajileye’s Electronic Evidence Books Now” — Essential Guides On Evidence Act, Case Law And Digital Proof
