Assessing the Awareness and Understanding of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) among Librarians and Users in Nigerian Academic Libraries

The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) in Nigeria, enacted in 2011, is a landmark legislation that guarantees citizens the right to access public records and information held by government institutions. Yet, over a decade after its enactment, questions remain about how well this legislation is understood and applied within the country’s academic library ecosystem. This study assessed the level of awareness and understanding of FOIA among librarians and library users in selected Nigerian academic libraries. Using a survey research design, data were collected from 86 valid respondents drawn from different institutions in Nigeria. The study found that while 74.4% of respondents had heard of FOIA, significant gaps exist in understanding its scope, exemptions, and procedural requirements. Lack of awareness and training emerged as the most cited barrier to FOIA implementation (38.4%), and a disturbing 50% of respondents were uncertain whether their institutions had developed FOIA policies. The study recommends targeted capacity-building programs, the development of institutional FOIA compliance frameworks, and the integration of information literacy curricula that explicitly address FOIA in Nigerian academic libraries.