Nigeria, April 11 -- The Supreme Court on Friday ruled that Nigeria's Freedom of Information (FoI) Act applies to all tiers of government, including state institutions.

Contrary to the arguments many state governments have canvassed over the years to dodge compliance with the FoI Act, a federal legislation, the court held that the National Assembly is competent to enact laws on public records and archives.

The court held that the matter falls within the constitutional purview.

The judgement is a milestone for the 14-year-old legislation, whose implementation has encountered challenges due to limited commitment to transparent and democratic governance in the country.

Hiding under legal cover that the federal law was not applicable to t...