Media Rights Agenda warns that without public access to environmental information, Nigeria risks greater loss of lives, livelihoods, and national stability.
By Bunmi Yekini
Media Rights Agenda (MRA) has raised alarm over Nigeria’s weak response to environmental and climate challenges, warning that the absence of timely and reliable access to environmental information is costing the country lives, livelihoods, and billions of naira in damages.
The organization made the call in Lagos while launching a new report, “Access to Environmental Information and the Cost of Ignorance in Nigeria,” to mark the International Day for Universal Access to Information (IDUAI).
MRA’s Programme Officer, Ayomide Eweje, said Nigeria’s environmental crisis, from flooding and desertification to oil pollution in the Niger Delta, cannot be solved without empowering citizens with the information they need to participate in governance.
“Critical to a national response framework is the right of citizens to access timely and reliable environmental information, without which their effective participation in environmental governance and the protection of their rights will not be possible,” she said. “Access to information is not just about compliance with the law; it is also about empowering people to protect their health, livelihoods, and environment, and to hold duty bearers accountable.”
The report highlights the growing cost of environmental devastation, billions of naira lost annually to destruction of infrastructure, mass displacement, and thousands of preventable deaths.
Ms. Eweje stressed that Nigeria has strong legal frameworks, including the Freedom of Information Act, Climate Change Act, and Environmental Impact Assessment Act, as well as binding international obligations under the Paris Agreement and the African Charter. Yet, weak enforcement, poor disclosure by public institutions, and the exclusion of marginalized groups continue to undermine progress.
“The cost of environmental devastation in Nigeria is already staggering. Without meaningful and effective access to environmental information, citizens cannot protect their health and livelihoods, or hold decision-makers accountable,” she said.
The report also points to the potential of digital tools and artificial intelligence to improve monitoring, early warning systems, and citizen access to real-time data. It urges government to create centralized, open-access data portals and strengthen laws mandating proactive disclosure in digital formats.
Ms. Eweje further called for attention to rural communities and women, who are disproportionately excluded from decision-making and digital access. “Governments must invest in broadband expansion, solar-powered digital hubs, and community-based ICT centres to bridge the rural digital divide,” she said.
She urged civil society and the media to intensify their role in monitoring environmental hazards and collaborating with research institutions, the private sector, and technology companies to ensure that environmental information is not only available but also accessible and actionable.