Media Rights Agenda (MRA) has called for more robust access to environmental information in Nigeria, warning that the absence of timely and reliable data is undermining efforts to address the country’s worsening environmental and climate challenges.
The call was made on Monday during the launch of a new report, ‘Access to Environmental Information and the Cost of Ignorance in Nigeria,’ which coincided with the International Day for Universal Access to Information (IDUAI).
The report highlights the mounting risks posed by deforestation, flooding, desertification, oil pollution in the Niger Delta, poor plastic waste management, and declining air and water quality.
According to MRA, these issues are not only threatening ecosystems and public health but are also costing Nigeria billions of dollars in infrastructure damage, displacing communities, and endangering national stability.
Speaking at the launch, Ayomide Eweje, Programme Officer, MRA, said Nigeria already has a layered framework of laws and international obligations that could serve as a strong foundation for environmental accountability, including the Freedom of Information Act, Climate Change Act, and Environmental Impact Assessment Act.
However, she noted that weak enforcement, lack of proactive disclosure by public institutions, and poor citizen engagement remain major obstacles.
‘Without meaningful and effective access to environmental information, citizens cannot protect their health and livelihoods or hold decision-makers accountable’, Eweje said. ‘Ensuring access is not just about legal compliance; it is about empowering people to safeguard their future.’
The report also underscores the potential of digital technologies, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), to strengthen environmental monitoring and public access to real-time data.
Yet, it warns that structural inequalities-particularly the exclusion of rural communities and women from decision-making-continue to threaten Nigeria’s environmental governance.
To address these gaps, MRA urged federal and state governments to strengthen and enforce laws mandating proactive disclosure of environmental data in digital, user-friendly formats, establish centralised, open-access data portals on pollution, deforestation, water quality, and climate risks invest in broadband expansion, solar-powered hubs, and community ICT centres to bridge the rural digital divide.
The organisation also called on civil society, the media, academia, and the private sector to collaborate in monitoring environmental hazards and ensuring that information is accessible, comprehensible, and actionable.
Eweje stressed that transparency and public participation are critical to preventing further environmental devastation in Nigeria.