By Akanimo Sampson
The Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (RoLAC), a programme of the British Council in Nigeria, has been busy for most of this outgoing year, supporting workshops for civil society organisations and the media to raise awareness about key legislations that protect women, children and persons living with disabilities (PWDs).
Checks by this reporter showed that over 78 stakeholders, 51 of them female, participated in a workshop last November, which focused on the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act 2015, the Child Rights Act, and the Administration of Criminal Justice Act.
The aim was to enhance the capacity of civic groups and media organisations to monitor compliance with these laws and to hold justice and support service providers to account.
Key outcomes from the workshops included the development of advocacy plans for service providers and implementation agencies; and media strategies to enable more specific and targeted reporting on SGBV issues.
Participants have been acknowledging that the training deepened their knowledge of laws. The case studies provided concrete examples to help participants better understand the issues and revealed how a stronger understanding of the laws can benefit the public through more accurate and informed reporting.
In partnership with the Freedom of Information (FoI) Coalition in Nigeria and the FOI Unit of the Federal Ministry of Justice, RoLAC hosted a workshop for representatives of public institutions and civil society organisations.
The objective was to increase citizens’ demand for accountability and transparency from public institutions, through enhanced awareness and capacity on the effective use of the FOI Act on the demand side (civil society); and to improve compliance and implementation of the FOI Act on the supply side (public institutions).
An earlier study on the level of compliance and use of the FOI Act in Kano and Adamawa states highlighted a lack of general knowledge about the Act and how to use it. This evidence formed the basis for the training.
Thirty civil society representatives (journalists, legal practitioners and community-based organisations) and 30 information desk officers from selected ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) from RoLAC’s focal states participated in the workshop.
The highlights of the training included practical writing exercises (FOI requests by civil society participants and responses by participants from public institutions), experience sharing, question and answer sessions, and others.
As a result of the training, participants now have a better understanding of the provisions and their application, and the obligations of public institutions. There is evidence that civic groups have commenced sending FOI requests to government agencies and officials.
In Kano, the Budget Tracking Group (BTG), a local group, was concerned with how state budget was being used. In the past, getting information from state institutions has always been difficult. BTG was not aware of the provisions of the FOI and methods for requesting information from state institutions.
Two weeks after the training, the group made a request to the member representing its constituency (Rogo Local Government Area) in the state House of Assembly and requested details on the expenditure of constituency project funds.
