FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT, 2007.

EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM This Act seeks to provide a light of access to public information or records kept by government, public institution or private bodies carrying out public functions for citizens and non-citizens of the country. This Act also seek to increase the availability of public records and information to citizens of the country in order to participate more effectively in the making and administration of laws and policies and to promote accountability of public officers.

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT, 2007.

ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS Section: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Short title Right of access to records Information about Government institutions Application for access to records Notice where access to records are applied for Transfer of application Extension of time limit Where access is refused

9. Fees, etc and action for waivers 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. Destruction or falsification of record. Access to records Where information is not available in distinct form. International] affairs and defence Law enforcement and investigations Economic interest of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Personal information Third party information Advice etc. Legal Practitioner- Client Privilege Course or research materials Severability Judicial review Refusal by head of government or public institution to disclose records Access to record by court Court to take precaution against disclosing information Burden of proof Order to disclose information. Exempted materials Protection of public officers Cap. 77 LFN, 1990, Cap. 245 LFN, 1990, Cap 335, 1990 Documents under security classification, Cap. 335 LFN, 1990 Submission of reports Complimentary procedures Interpretations

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION BILL, 2007. A Bill For An Act to make public records and information more freely available, provide for public access to public records and information, project public records and information to the extent consistent with the public interest and the protection of personal privacy, protect serving public officers from adverse consequences for disclosing certain kinds of official information without authorization and establish procedures for the achievement of those purposes; and for related matters
Commencement

ENACTED by the National Assembly of the Federal Republic of Nigeria : 1. 2. This Act maybe cited as the Freedom of Information Act. 2007. (1) Subject to the provisions of this Act but notwithstanding anything contained in any other Act, law or regulation, every citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has a legally enforceable right to, and shall, on application, be given access to any record under the control of a government or public institution. (2) An applicant does not need to demonstrate any specific interest in the information being applied for. (3) For the purpose of this Act, any record applied for under this Act that does not exist in print but can by regulation be produced from a machine, normally used by the government or public institution shall be deemed to be record under the control of the government or public institution. 3 about (1) The head of every government or public institution to which this Act applies shall cause to be published in the Federal Gazette a description of: (a) the organization and responsibilities of the institution including details of programmes and functions of each division, branch and department of the institution; (b) a l l classes of record under the control of the institution in sufficient details to facilitate the exercise of the right to access under this Act; (c) all manuals used by employees of the institution in administering or carrying out any of the programmes or activities of the institutions; (d) documents containing final opinions including concurring and dissenting opinions as well as orders made in the adjudication of cases; (e) documents containing substantive rules of the institution; (f) documents containing statements and interpretations of policy which have been adopted by the institution; (g) documents containing final planning policies, recommendations and decisions; (h) (i) (j) documents containing factual reports, inspection reports, and studies whether prepared by or for the institution; documents containing information relating to the receipt or expenditure of public or other funds of the institution: documents containing the names, salaries, titles, and dates of employment of a l l employees and Information government
institutions.

ShortTitle Right of access t0 records -

(j)

documents containing the names, salaries, t i t l e s , and dales of employment of a l l employees and officers of the institution;

(k) documents containing the rights of the state, the public, sub-division of the state or a local government, or of any private persons; (1) documents containing the name of every official and the final records of voting in all proceedings of the institutions; (m) files containing applications for any contract, permit, grants or agreement; (n) a list of reports, documents, studies or publications prepared by independent contractors for the institution; (o) materials containing information relating to any grant or contract made by or between the institution or another government or public institution or private organization; and (p) the t i t l e and address of the appropriate officers or employees of the institution to whom requests for access to records under t h i s Act should be sent, provided that the failure of any government or public institution to publish any information required to be published under this sub-section shall not prejudicially affect the right of access to public records and information in the custody of such government or public institution as provided for under this Act. (2) The institution shall publish an update record when changes occur. (3) Any person e n t i t l e d to the right of access conferred by t h i s Act shall have the right to institute proceedings in a court to compel the head of any government, institution or public body to comply with the provisions of this section. (4) The government or public institutions to which this Act applies are a l l authorities whether executive. legislative or judicial agencies of the Federal Government, together with all companies in which a Federal, State or Local Government authority has a controlling interest and also private companies performing public functions. An application for access to a record under this Act shall be made in writing to the government or public institutions that has control of the record and shall provide sufficient detail to enable an experienced employee of the institution with a reasonable effort to identify the record. (1) Where access to record is applied for under this Act, the head of the government or public institution access to which the application is made shall, subject to Sections 7, 8, and 10, of t h i s Act not later than 14 applied working days following the date of receipt of the application; (a) give written notice to the person who made the application as to whether or not access to the record or a pan thereof will be given; and (b) if access is to be given, give the person who made the application access to the record or part thereof. (2) In counting the 14 working days, the date in which the fee is received by the head of the government or public institution is not included.
Transfer of application.

Application for access to records

Notice where to records is

( 1 ) Where a government or public institution receives an application for access to a record under this Act, and the head of the institution considers that another government or public institution has a greater interest in the record, the head of the institution to which the application is made may subject to such conditions as maybe prescribed by regulation, within three days but not later than 7 days after the application is received transfer the application, and if necessary, the record to the other government or

public institution, in which case the head of the institution transferring the applications shall give written notice of the transfer to the person who made the application that such decision to transfer the application can be reviewed by a court . (2) Where an application is transferred under subsection ( 1 ) of t h i s section, the application shall be deemed to have been made to the government or public institution to which it was transferred on the day the government or public institution to whom the application was made received it . (3) For the purpose of subsection ( 1 ) , a government or public institution has a greater interest in a record if: (a) the record was originally produced in or for the institution; or (b) in the case of a record not originally produced in or for a government or public institution, the institution was the first government or institution to receive the record or a copy thereof, The head of every government or public institution may extend the time set out in Section 6 in respect of Extension of time an application under this Act for a reasonable period of time, and in any event not exceeding seven days, if: (a) the application is for a larger number of records or necessitates a research through a large number of records and meeting the original time limit would unreasonably interfere with the operations of the government or public institutions; or (b) consultations are necessary to comply with the request that cannot reasonably be completed within the original time l i m i t , by giving notice of the extension stating whether the extension falls under the circumstances set out in paragraph fa) or (b), which notice shall contain a statement that the person has a right to have the decision to extend the time limit reviewed by a court. (1) Where the head of government or public institution refuses to give access to a record applied for Where access is under this Act, or a part thereof, the head of the institution shall state in the notice given under section 5(a) the specific provision of t h i s Act on which the refusal was based and shall state in the notice that the person who made the request has a right to have is refusal reviewed by a Court. (2) Any notification of refusal of any application for records shall set forth the names of each person responsible for the refusal of such application. (3) The head of a government or public institution shall be required to indicate under subsection ( 1 ) whether a record exists. (4) Where the head of a government or public institution fails to give access to record applied for under this Act or part thereof within the time limit set out in t h i s Act, the head of the institution shall, for the purposes of this Act, be deemed to have refused to give access. 9. (1) A government or public institution shall by regulations provide that: fees shall be limited to reasonable standard charges for document search, duplication, review and transcription where necessary, when records are (a) applied for commercial use; and (b) not sought for commercial use and the application is made by an educational or non commercial, scientific, research, or a representative of the news media; (2) A document shall be furnished without an}1 charge or at a charge reduced below the fees established under section 10 ( 1 ) (b) if disclosure of the information is in the public interest because it is l i k e l y to contribute significantly to public understanding of the operations or activities of the government and is not primarily in the commercial interest of the applicant.
Fees, etc. and action for waivers.

(3) The fees schedules shall provide for the recovery of only the direct costs of search, duplication, reproduction, review or transcription where the record being applied for under this Act is produced as a result of the application from a machine-readable record under the control of a government or public institution, (4) The review costs shall include only the direct costs incurred during the initial examination of a document for the purposes of determining whether the documents must be disclosed under t h i s section and for the purpose of withholding any portion exempt from disclosure under this Act. (5) The review costs may not include any cost incurred in resolving issues of law or policy that may be raised in the course of processing an application under this section. (6) A fee shall not be charged by any government or public institution: (a) if the costs of routine collection and processing of the fee are l i k e l y to be equal to or exceed the amount for the fee, or (b) for any application described in section 10 (l)(a), (b) for the first two hours of search time or for the first one hundred pages of publication. (7) A government or public institution may not request advance payment of any fee under this Act where an applicant has previously failed to pay fees in a timely fashion. (8) Nothing in this Act shall supersede fees chargeable under a statute specifically providing for setting the level of fees for the particular records. (9) In any action by an applicant regarding the waiver of fees under this section, the court shall determine the matter; provided that court's fees review of the matter shall be limited to the record before the government or public institution. 10. It shall be an offence punishable on conviction with 3 years imprisonment for any officer or head of any Destruction government or public institution to which this Act applies who wilfully destroys any record kept in h i s or falsification of or her custody or attempts to doctor or otherwise -alter same before the)' are released to any person, entity or community applying for it. ( ! ) Access to a record shall be given to the person applying for such access in one or more of the following forms; (a) a reasonable opportunity to inspect or copy the record; (b) in the case of a record that is an article or thing from which sounds or visual images are capable of being reproduced, the making of arrangements for the person to hear or view these sounds or visual images; or (c) in the case of a document by which words are recorded in a manner in which they are capable of being reproduced in the form of sound or which words are contained in the form of shorthand writing or in codified form, provision by the government or public institution of a written transcript or the words recorded or contained in the document. (2) Subject to subsection (3) of t h i s section, where the person applying for access has applied for such access in a particular form, the access shall be given in that form. (3) If the giving of access in the form applied for by the person would : (a) interfere unreasonably with the operations of the government or public institution or the performance by any officer or employee thereof of his functions. Access to records.

11.

(b) be detrimental to the preservation of the record or, having regard to the physical nature of the record, would not be appropriate; or (c) but for the provisions of t h i s Act, involve an infringement of copyright (other than copyright owned by the Federal Republic of Nigeria, a state, or a local government, or a government and or public institution thereof) subsisting in matter contained in the record, being matter that does not relate to the affairs of a government or public institution, access in that form may be refused and access shall be given in another form. (4) Subject to subsection 13 (1), where a person applies for access to a record in a particular form and, for a reason specified in subsection (3), access in that form is refused but access is given in another form, the person applying for access shall not be requested to pay a charge in respect of the provision of access to the record that is greater than the charge that he would have been required to pay if access had been given in the form applied for. 12. Where an application is made to a government or p u b l i c institution and the information sought for is not available in distinct form. The institution shall make the information available in that distinct form. Where information is distinct form. 13. (1) The head of a government or public institution may refuse to disclose any record, the disclosure of International affairs which may be injurious to the conduct or international affairs or the defence of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. (2) In the interest of the public the court may override the refusal by the head of government or public institution to disclose the information applied for. 14. ( 1 ) The head of the government or public institution may refuse any information applied for the disclosure of which would: (a) interfere with pending or actual and reasonably contemplated enforcement proceedings conducted by any law enforcement or correctional agency; (b) interfere with pending administrative by any government or public institution; _ (c) deprive a person of a fair t r i a l ; (d) disclose the identity of a confidential source; (e) constitute an invasion of personal privacy, but, where the interest of the public would be better served by having such record being made available ,this exemption to disclosure shall not apply; (f) obstruct an ongoing criminal investigation; or (g) reasonably be expected to be injurious to the security of penal institution. (2) The head of a government or public institution may refuse to disclose any information applied for that could reasonably be expected to facilitate the commission of an offence. (3) For the purpose of this section, "Investigation" means an investigation that: (a) pertains to the administration or enforcement of any enactment: and (b) is authorized by or pursuant to and enactment. 15. The head of a government or public institution may refuse to disclose any information applied for that
contains . Federal Republic of Nigeria

Law enforcement
and investigations.

law

enforcement

proceedings

conducted

Economic
interest of the

(a) trade secret, financial, commercial or technical information that belongs to the government that has substantial economic value or is likely to have substantial value; (b) materials that could reasonably be agovernment or public institution; expected to prejudice the competitive position of

(c) scientific or technical information obtained through research by an officer or employee of a government or p u b l i c institution which could deprive the officer or employee of priority of publication; or (d) information the disclosure of which could reasonably be expected to be materially injurious to the financial interest of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, any State or Local Government, or the ability of the Federal Government, a State or Local Government to manage its economy, or could reasonably be expected to result in an undue benefit to any person including but not limited to the following information: (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) (v) 16. the currency, coinage or legal tender of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; a contemplated charge in the rate of banks interest or in government borrowing; a contemplated charge in tariff rates, taxes, duties or any other revenue sources; a contemplated charge in the conditions of operation of financial institutions; and a contemplated sale or purchase of securities or of foreign or Nigerian currency

( 1 ) Subject to subsection 2 of this section, the head of a government or public institution shall refuse to Personal disclose any record applied for that contains personal information. This shall include: information. (i)files and personal information maintained with respect to clients, patients, residents, students, other individuals receiving social, medical, educational, vocational, financial, supervisory or custodial care or services directly from federal agencies or government or public institution: (ii) personnel files and personal information maintained with respect to employees, appointees or elected officials of any government or public institution or applicants for such positions; files and personal information maintained with respect to any applicant, registrar or licensee by any government or public institution cooperating with or engaged in professional or occupational registration, censure or discipline; information required of any tax payer in connection with the assessment or c o l l e c t i o n of any tax unless disclosure is otherwise requested by state statute; and with or

(iii)

(iv)

(v) informationrevealing the identity of persons who file complaints provide information to administrative, investigative, law enforcement or penal agencies.

(2) The head of a government or public institution may disclose any record applied for that contains personal information(a) the individual to whom it relates consents to the disclosure; or (b) the information is p u b l i c l y available. (3) Where the disclosure of any information referred to in t h i s section would be in the public interest, and if the public interest in the disclosure of such information c l e a r l y outweighs the protection of the privacy of the individual to whom such information relates, the head of the government or public institution to whom an application has been made shall disclose such information subject to section 14

17.

(1) Subject to this section, the head of a government or public institution shall refuse to disclose any party record applied for under this Act that contains: (a) trade secrets and commercial or financial information obtained from a person or business where such trade secrets or information are proprietary privileged or confidential, or where the disclosure of such trade secrets or information are proprietary, privileged or confidential, or where the disclosure of such trade secrets or information may cause competitive harm and nothing contained in this subsection shall be construed to prevent a person or business from consenting to disclosure; (b) information the disclosure of which could reasonably be expected to interfere with the contractual or other negotiations of a third party, or (c) proposal and bids for any contract, grants or agreement, including information which if it were disclosed would frustrate procurement or give an advantage to any person. (2) The head of a government or public institution shall not refuse to disclose a part of a record if that part contains the result or product of environmental testing carried out by or on behalf of a government or public institution. (3) Where the head of a government or public institution discloses a record applied for under this Act, or a part thereof, that contains the result of a product or environmental testing, the head of the institution shall: at the same time as the record or part thereof is disclosed, provide a person who applied for the record with a written explanation of the methods used in conducting the test. (4) The head of a government and public institutions shall disclose any record requested for under this Act, or any part thereof, that contains information described in subsection (1) (a) and (b) if this section disclosure would be in the Public interest as it the relates to public health, public safety or protection of the environment and, if the Public interest in disclosure clearly outweighs in importance any financial loss or gain to, or prejudice to the competitive position of, or interference with, contractual or other negotiation of a third party.

Third

(1) The head of a government or public institution may refuse to disclose any record applied for, that Advice etc. contains preliminary drafts, notes, recommendations, memoranda and other records in which opinions are expressed, or policies or actions are formulated, except that a specific record or relevant portion thereof shall not be exempted when the record is publicly cited and identified by head of the government or public institution and the exemption provided in this subsection extends to all those records of officers and agencies of National or State Houses of Assembly, which pertain to the preparation of legislative documents. (2) Subsection ( 1 ) does not apply in respect of a record that contains: (a) an account of, or a statement of reasons for, a decision that is made in the exercise of a discretionary power or an adjudicative function and which affects the rights of a person; or (b) a report prepared by a consultant or an adviser who was not, at the time the report was prepared, an officer or employee of a government or public institution or a member of staff of a Ministry of the Federal Government or Commissioner of a State Government. 19 The head of a government or public institution may refuse to disclose any record applied for that contains information that is subject to Legal Practitioner-Client Privilege. The head of a government or public institution may refuse to disclose any record applied for which contains course materials or research prepared by faculty members.
Legal PractitionerClient Privilege Course or Research
materials

21

Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, where application is made to a government or public

Severabiliy

institution for access to a record that the head of the institution is authorized under this Act to refuse to disclose by reason of information or other material contained in the record, the head of the institution shall disclose a part of the record that does not contain, and can be severed from any part that contains any such information or material. 22. (1) Any person who has been refused access to a record applied for, or part thereof may apply to the Judicial review court for a review of the matter within thirty days after the head of the government or public institution has refused or is deemed to have refused the application, or within such further time as the court may either before or after the expiration of those thirty days fix or allow. (2) An application made under this section shall be heard and determined summarily. 23 The head of a government or public institution may refuse to disclose any record applied for that contains information pertaining to: (a) test questions, scoring keys and other examination data used to administer an academic to examination or determine the qualifications of an applicant for a licence or employment; Refusal by government or public institution disclose records

(b) architects' and engineers' plans for building not constructed with public funds, to the extent that disclosure would compromise security; and 24 (c) library circulation and other records identifying library users with specific materials. Notwithstanding anything contained in any other Act or enactment or any privilege under the law of Access to record evidence, the court may, in the course of any proceedings before it arising from an application under section 22 of this Act, examine any record to which this Act applies that is under the control of government or public institution and no such record may be withheld from the court on any ground. In any proceeding before the court arising from an application under section 22, the court shall take Court to take precaution, including when appropriate, receiving representations ex-parte and conducting hearings in camera to avoid the disclosure by the court or an) 1 person of any information or other material on a basis of which the head of a government or public institution will be authorized to disclose a part of a record requested under this Act.
precautions against disclosing information.

25

26

27

In any proceedings before the court a r i s i n g from an application under Section 22, the burden of Burden of proof establishing that the head of a government or public institution is authorized to refuse to disclose a record under this Act or a part thereof, shall be on the government or p u b l i c institution concerned. (1) Where the head of a government or public institution refuses to disclose a record applied for, or a Order to disclose pan thereof on the basis of a provision of t h i s Act, the court shall order the head of the institution to disclose the record or part thereof to the person who applied for access to the record: (i) if the court determines that the head of the institution is not authorized to refuse to disclose the record or part thereof;

( i i ) where the head of the institution is so authorized, but the court determines that the head of the institution did not have reasonable grounds on which to refuse to disclose the record or part thereof; or ( i i i ) where the court makes a finding that the interest of the public in having the record being made available is greater and more vital than the interest being served if the application is refused (2) An) order the court makes in pursuant of t h i s section may be made subject to such conditions, as the court may deem appropriate. 28 This Act does not apply to:
Exempted materials

(a) published material or material available for purchase by the public: (b) library or museum material made or acquired and preserved s o l e l y for public reference or exhibition purposes; or (c) material placed in the National Library, the National Museum or the non-public section of the National Archives of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on behalf of any person or organization other than a government or institution. 29 ( 1 ) Notwithstanding anything contained in the Criminal Code, Penal Code ; the Official Secrets Act, or any Protection of public officers other enactment, no c i v i l or criminal proceedings shall l i e against any government, or public institution, Cap 77 LFN, or against any person acting on behalf of the government or public institution, and no proceedings shall [990. Cap. lie against the Federal Government, State or Local Government or any institution thereof, for the 245 LFN, 1990. disclosure in good faith of any record or any part of a record pursuant to this Act, for any consequence that Cap 335.1990 flow from that disclosure, or for the failure to give any notice required under this Act, if care is taken to give the required notice, (2) Nothing contained in the Criminal Code or t h e Official Secrets Act shall prejudicially affects any public officer who, without authorization, discloses to any person any public record or information which he reasonably believes to show: (a) a violation of any law, rule or regulation, (b) mismanagement, gross waste of funds, fraud, and abuse of authority; or (c) a such information was not disclosed pursuant to the provisions of this Act. (3) No c i v i l or criminal proceedings shall l i e against any person receiving the information or further disclosing it. 30 (1) The fact that an) 1 record in the custody of government or public institution is kept by that institution under security classification or is classified document within the meaning of the Official Secrets Act does not preclude it from being disclosed pursuant to an application for disclosure thereof under the provisions of this Act, but in every case the head of the government or public institution to which an application for such record is made shall decide whether such record is of a type referred to in sections 14, 15, 16, 17, I 8 , 1 9 ; 2 0 o r 2 1 of this Act. (2) If the head of the government or public institution to which the request for a record mentioned in subsection ( 1 ) is made decides that such record is not a type mentioned in the sections referred to in subsection (1) : (a) access. to such record shall be given to the person who made the application; and (b) he shall give notice to the person applying for the record. 31 ( 1 ) On or before February 1 of each year, each government or public Institution shall submit to the of Attorney-General of the Federal Republic of Nigeria a report which shall cover the preceding fiscal year and which shall include: (a) the number of determinations made by the government or public institution not to comply with applications for records made to such Government or Public Institutions under t h i s Act and the reasons for such determination; (b) the number of appeals made by persons under this Act, and the reason for the action upon each appeal that results in a denial of information: (c) a description of whether a court has upheld the decision of the government or public institution to withhold information under such circumstances and a concise description of the scope of any Submission
Documents under Security classification. LFN. 1990

substantial

and

specific

danger to

public

health

or safety

notwithstanding that

11

information withheld; (d) the number of applications for records pending before the government or public institution as of October 31 of the preceding year and the median number of days that such applications had been pending before the government or public institution as of that date; (e) the number of applications for records received by the government or public institution and the number of requests which the government or public institution processes; ff) the median number of days taken by the government or public institution to process different types of applications; (g) the total amount of fees collected by the government or public institution to process such application; and (h) the number of full-time staff of the government or public institution devoted to processing applications for records, and or the total amount expended by the government or public institution for processing such applications. (2) Each government or public institution shall make its report available to members of the public, including online and other electronic means. (3) The Attorney-General shall make each report, which has been submitted to him, available at a single electronic access point. (4) He shall notify the National Assembly not later than April of the year in which such report is issued, that such reports are available by electronic means. (5) The Attorney-General shall develop reporting and performance guidelines in connection with reports required by this section and may establish additional requirements for such reports as he may determine. (6) The Attorney-General shall submit to the National Assembly an annual report on or before April 1 of each calendar year which shall include for the prior calendar? A list of cases arising under this Act, the exemption involved in each case, the disposition of such case and the cost, fees, and penalties assessed. (7) Such report shall also include a description of the efforts taken by the Ministry of Justice to encourage all governments or public institutions to comply with this Act. (8) For the purposes of this section, the term: (a) "government" includes any executive department, military department, government corporation, government controlled corporation, or other establishment in the executive branch of the government (including the executive office of the President), or any other independent regulatory government or public institution; and (b) "record" means any term used in this Act in reference to information which includes any information that would be given by a government or public institution in any formal, including an electronic format. 32. (1) This Act is intended to complement and not replace existing procedures for access to public records Complimentary and information and is not intended to l i m i t in an; way access to those types of official information that have been normally available to the general public. (2) Where the question whether any public record or information is to be made available, where that question arises under this Act, the question s hall be determined in accordance with the provisions stated herein, unless otherwise exempted by this Act. 33. In this Act: 12 Interpretations

"Court" means a State High Court where the official information in question is kept by Local or State Government institutions and the Federal High Court where the official information in question is kept by a Federal Government institutions; ''Foreign State" means any State other than the Federal Republic of Nigeria; ''public or government institution" means any legislative, executive, judicial, administrative or advisory body of the Federal, State and Local Governments, boards, bureau, committees or commissions of the State, and any subsidiary body of those pub lic bodies including but not limited to committees and subcommittees which are supported in whole or in part by public funds or which expends public funds and private bodies carrying out public functions: "Public record or document" means a record in any form having been prepared, or having been or being used, received, possessed or under the control of any public or private body relating to matters of public interest and includes: (a) any writing on any material; (b) any information recorded or stored or other devices and any material subsequently derived from information so recorded or stored; (c) any label, marking or other writing that identifies or describes anything of which it forms pan, or to which it is attached by any means; (d) any book, card, form, map, plan, graph or drawing; (e) any photograph, film, negative, microfilm, tape or other device in which one or more visual images are embodied so as to be capable with or without the aid of some other equipment of being reproduced: 'Minister" means the Minister charged with responsibility for information; "Person" includes a corporation sole, and also a body of persons whether corporate or incorporate acting individually or as a group; "Personal information" means (a) any official information held about an identifiable person; and (b) does not include information that bears on the public duties of public employees and officials,

"Court5' means a State High Court where the official information in question is kept by Local or State Government institutions and the Federal High Court where the official information in question is kept by a Federal Government institutions; ''Foreign State" means any State other than the Federal Republic of Nigeria; "public or government institution" means any legislative, executive, judicial, administrative or advisory body of the Federal, State and Local Governments, boards, bureau, committees or commissions of the State, and any subsidiary body of those public bodies including but not limited to committees and subcommittees which are supported in whole or in part by public funds or which expends public funds and private bodies carrying out public functions; "Public record or document" means a record in any form having been prepared, or having been or being used, received, possessed or under the control of any public or private body relating to matters of public interest and includes: (a) any writing on any material: (b) any information recorded or stored or other devices and any material subsequently derived from information so recorded or stored: (c) any label, marking or other writing that identifies or describes anything of which it forms part, or to which it is attached by any means: (d) any book, card, form, map, plan, graph or drawing; (ej any photograph, film, negative, microfilm, tape or other device in which one or more visual images are embodied so as to be capable with or without the aid of some other equipment of being reproduced: "Minister means the Minister charged with responsibility for information; "Person" includes a corporation sole, and also a body of persons whether corporate or incorporate acting individually or as a group; "Personal information" means (a) any official information held about an identifiable person and (b) does not include information that bears on the public duties of public employees and officials.