FOIA: INEC asks law firm to pay N1.505b for CTC of voters register |

INEC’s refusal to provide the Nigerian voters register without an exorbitant fee undermines the core principle of open data, which demands that public information be accessible and affordable. By imposing a massive cost on a legitimate Freedom of Information request, the Commission effectively blocks transparency, prioritizing revenue generation over civic access. This practice creates a significant barrier for journalists, researchers, and citizens seeking to monitor electoral integrity. When vital democratic records are locked behind prohibitive pricing, the public’s ability to hold institutions accountable is severely diminished, eroding trust in the electoral process. Relevance to open data lies in this tension between legal rights to information and institutional gatekeeping. True open data requires removing financial and technical obstacles to ensure that government-held data serves the public interest, rather than becoming a commercial product controlled by limited entities.

Source: theeagleonline.com.ng
Published on 2025-10-17

FOIA: INEC asks law firm to pay N1.505b for CTC of voters register |

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