Nigeria’s new Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), which was signed into law by President Goodluck Jonathan on the 28 May 2011, contains far reaching provisions capable of transforming the clandestine system of governance that has, until now, been the norm of Nigeria’s public institutions. The underlying philosophy of the Act is that public officers are custodians of a public trust on behalf of a population who have a right to know what they do. In particular, the FOIA promises to remove the aura of mystery and exclusion with which public servants clothe the ordinary operations of government and public institutions and manage public records and information. This brief article highlights the ten most significant provisions of the FOIA
