By Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna
Media Rights Agenda (MRA) Thursday, announced the formal opening of its call for Entries for the Dr. Goodluck Jonathan Freedom of Information (FOI) Awards 2026, designed to recognize and celebrate journalistic excellence in promoting transparency and accountability through the effective use of the FOI Act, 2011.
The FOI Act named in honour of former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR, for signing it into Law on May 28, 2011, the first category of the awards will celebrate a journalist who has made the highest number of information requests under the Act.
MRA added that the second category will honour a journalist who has made the most outstanding contributions in promoting the Act since its enactment by raising awareness among citizens, government officials and the media about it, including its provisions, how to use it, its benefits, and the rights it grants as well as advocating for its effective implementation.
In a statement announcing the opening, MRA called on all eligible Nigerian journalists working across print, broadcast, online, and multimedia platforms to submit their entries for consideration in two distinct categories as follows:
“Category 1: Most Active User of the FOI Act. This award will be given to a journalist who has made the highest verifiable number of information requests under the FOI Act between May 28, 2011, and December 31, 2025. This category aims to celebrate and encourage the active and consistent use of the Act as a tool for journalistic investigation as well as for promoting and ensuring transparency and good governance.
“Category 2: Most Outstanding Promoter of the FOI Act. This award will recognize a journalist who has made the most outstanding contributions in promoting the FOI Act since its enactment in 2011. This includes raising public awareness about the Act, its provisions, how to use it, its benefits, and the rights it confers on individuals, as well as advocating for its effective implementation through news stories, feature articles, opinion pieces, or other media outputs”, it stated.
MRA added that applicants must be journalists of Nigerian nationality, working in any print, broadcast, online, or multimedia outlet, and should not be under any legal constraint and must not have been adjudged by an appropriate regulatory or judicial body to be guilty of professional misconduct.
All interested journalists are required to complete an application form and attach relevant, verifiable documentation for their claims, which may include acknowledged copies of FOI requests or copies of published media outputs, depending on the category.
“The deadline for all submissions is 23.59 (WAT) on January 31, 2026”, it stated.
According to MRA, the winner in each category will receive a plaque, a certificate, and a prize. “The Awards will be formally presented at a public ceremony to be held in Abuja on May 28, 2026, coinciding with an event to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the enactment of the Act.
“For application forms and further inquiries, please contact Media Rights Agenda by email at: foi_awards@mediarightsagenda.org”, MRA stated.
