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.
