A  Senior Lecturer at the Department of English, University of Ilorin, Dr. Mahfouz Adedimeji, has described the Freedom of Information (FoI) Act as a key instrument for good governance in the country.

Dr. Adedimeji made this observation while presenting a paper entitled “The Freedom of Information (FOI) Act in Nigeria: The Way Forward” at a seminar organised by the Human Development Initiatives (HDI)/National Orientation Agency (NOA) in Ilorin penultimate Thursday (December 5, 2013).

The don said, “The more informed people are, the better they become in enjoying the dividends of democracy. The fact is that the people at the grassroots need to know how they are governed and this cannot come except through their active participation in the  activities of local governments”.

Speaking further at the seminar put together to enlighten residents from the different Local Government Areas of Kwara State, Dr. Adedimeji emphasised that there can only be meaningful development when people at the grassroots explore the benefits of  the Freedom of Information Act to the maximum.

In his own lecture, entitled “Local Governments in Nigeria”, the Research Officer of the HDI, Mr. Olayemi Samuel, urged participants to ensure that they are active in the decision-making process at the grassroots through participation in governance by involving themselves in Local Government budget preparation and implementation.

The Coordinator, HDI-LGA, Budget Watch, Kwara State, Mr. RidwanYousouph, said, “It is when the people participate in budgeting and ensure its implementation that the country can develop”.