INEC’s ₦1.5 billion charge for a Freedom of Information (FOI) request raises fresh concerns about transparency and digital readiness. REMMY NWEKE in this edition of Telecoms Clinic @ITREALMS analyses and asks for digital alternatives to paper-based bureaucracy in Nigeria’s electoral system.
The Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) recent demand of ₦1.5 billion as the cost of granting a Freedom of Information (FOI) request for the National Register of Voters and the list of polling units has sparked widespread debate about transparency, access, and digital accountability in Nigeria.
While many have condemned the figure as excessive, the discussion is more nuanced than it appears. Producing a certified true copy (CTC) of a national database involves more than simple photocopying.
It includes retrieving data from a secure system, verifying its integrity, printing or exporting it, stamping, signing, and retaining a record for reference. When considered from this operational perspective, the cost might reflect administrative and security layers, particularly if physical copies are being requested.
Yet, this reasoning exposes a deeper systemic issue on why does transparency in Nigeria remain tethered to paper, when digital alternatives are not only feasible but far more efficient?
Yet, this reasoning exposes a deeper systemic issue on why does transparency in Nigeria remain tethered to paper, when digital alternatives are not only feasible but far more efficient?
In an era where broadband access, cloud computing, and digital certification are commonplace, INEC can no longer justify billion-naira printing budgets for data that already exists in electronic form.
The National Register of Voters is a digital resource. Making it accessible electronically through secure formats such as encrypted data files or digitally signed extracts, would eliminate the need for costly physical duplication.
The National Register of Voters is a digital resource. Making it accessible electronically through secure formats such as encrypted data files or digitally signed extracts, would eliminate the need for costly physical duplication.
Such an approach aligns with both the Freedom of Information Act and global best practices, where government institutions proactively disclose essential public data online at minimal or no cost.
It is true that voter registers include photographs and therefore require more space than plain-text documents, but this reality reinforces the call for digitization, not a justification for prohibitive charges.
It is true that voter registers include photographs and therefore require more space than plain-text documents, but this reality reinforces the call for digitization, not a justification for prohibitive charges.
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INEC must develop a certified digital records system where documents can be verified electronically, ensuring integrity without bureaucracy.
A crucial first step is for INEC to publish a transparent cost breakdown explaining how it arrived at ₦1.5 billion. Nigerians deserve clarity on how much of the figure covers database access, verification, labour, printing, logistics, or certification.
A crucial first step is for INEC to publish a transparent cost breakdown explaining how it arrived at ₦1.5 billion. Nigerians deserve clarity on how much of the figure covers database access, verification, labour, printing, logistics, or certification.
Without this transparency, the figure will continue to appear arbitrary and inconsistent with the spirit of openness that the FOI Act was enacted to promote.
Transparency is not supposed to be a privilege for the wealthy or an institutional revenue stream, it is a democratic right. The FOI Act was designed to make government records freely and readily accessible, not to commercialize access.
Transparency is not supposed to be a privilege for the wealthy or an institutional revenue stream, it is a democratic right. The FOI Act was designed to make government records freely and readily accessible, not to commercialize access.
In the digital economy, information dissemination should be efficient, affordable, and public-oriented.
INEC’s reputation as Nigeria’s electoral umpire depends not just on conducting credible elections but on fostering a culture of openness and trust. The digital alternative is not merely an option; it is the logical and ethical path forward.
INEC’s reputation as Nigeria’s electoral umpire depends not just on conducting credible elections but on fostering a culture of openness and trust. The digital alternative is not merely an option; it is the logical and ethical path forward.
By embracing digital alternative, INEC can lead the way toward a more accountable, tech-driven public service that aligns with the realities of the 21st century.
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Remmy Nweke argues that INEC's ₦1.5 billion charge for a Freedom of Information request highlights the need for digital alternatives in Nigeria's electoral system, advocating for efficient, transparent access to data that aligns with modern technological capabilities.
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