The platforms and institutions that shape digital life must answer for their power. We push for transparency in content moderation, algorithmic decisions, and government requests, holding companies and public bodies accountable when they harm users.
Transparency is a legal right, not a courtesy
Section 4 of the Freedom of Information Act gives a public institution seven days to release requested information or to issue a written notice of refusal, with reasons and an explanation of the right to seek review. Silence is not one of the options the Act provides. A refusal at least gives a citizen something to challenge; silence is designed to give them nothing to hold.
In April 2026 we asked the Independent National Electoral Commission for the forensic report behind a public finding it had announced, along with the identity and credentials of the expert who produced it, the engagement letter, the sum paid and the procurement records. The Commission did not release the report. It did not refuse it in writing. It did not reply at all. We filed suit at the Federal High Court in Lagos.
Those five items were not incidental to the finding. They are what makes a finding checkable. A conclusion is only as reliable as the method that produced it, the independence of the person who applied it, and the terms under which they were engaged.
Platform power
The same principle applies to private companies. Decisions about what Nigerians can see and say online are increasingly made by moderation systems and ranking algorithms whose rules are not published and whose appeals rarely reach a human. When a platform removes an account, throttles a hashtag or complies with a government request, users are entitled to know that it happened and why.
What we press for
- Compliance with the seven-day deadline in the Freedom of Information Act, and written reasons for every refusal.
- Publication of gazetted legislation promptly after assent.
- Transparency reporting by platforms on government takedown and data requests affecting Nigerian users.
- Meaningful appeal routes for users whose content or accounts are actioned.
If a public institution has ignored your request for information, or a platform has acted against you without explanation, report a case to us.