Nigeria, April 21 -- The windows of transparency and accountability in governance were further widened by a recent Supreme Court judgment, which subjected the three tiers of government to the implementation of the Freedom of Information Act. All the states but one had, before now, refused to enforce it, with the unfounded argument that it was strictly a federal law. As a result, a deluge of requests by many public sector watchdogs for scrutiny of their activities came to naught.

Only Ekiti State, under Kayode Fayemi as governor, domesticated the Act in 2011. However, the law does not require such a ritual for its implementation, as evident in the apex court declaration. In its well-considered judgment, the court said the matter was withi...