Twenty-seven years after Nigeria’s return to democratic rule, the Niger State House of Assembly still has no official website, leaving residents without easy access to bills, committee reports, voting records and other legislative documents.
The absence of an official digital platform has raised concerns among governance experts, journalists and civil society advocates, who argue that the situation undermines transparency, public participation and Nigeria’s broader push for Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI).
Nigeria has increasingly invested in DPI to improve interactions between citizens and government through systems such as digital identity, digital payments and secure data exchange.
Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, has described Digital Public Infrastructure as the modern equivalent of roads, electricity and other essential public utilities capable of rebuilding public trust and accelerating economic growth.
Despite those efforts, governance experts argue that legislative institutions must also be digitised to ensure citizens can monitor democratic processes.
Ali Sabo, Digital Rights Lead at the Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD), said legislatures should be integrated into Nigeria’s evolving digital infrastructure.
“If the objective of DPI is to improve public service delivery, strengthen state-citizen relations, and promote inclusive development, then democratic institutions, including legislatures, must also be part of the conversation,” he said.
He noted that legislatures perform critical functions through lawmaking, oversight, budget approval and representation, adding that digital platforms are essential for public engagement.
“Just as digital identity systems enable citizens to prove who they are and digital payment systems facilitate economic transactions, legislative digital platforms enable citizens to access, monitor, and engage with democratic processes,” Sabo added.
The lack of digital records has also affected journalistic investigations.
Minna-based journalist Ibrahim Ndamitso recalled abandoning an investigation into a proposed School of Nursing and Midwifery in Suleja after he was unable to obtain the relevant legislative documents online.
According to him, the proposal had been announced on the Assembly’s official Facebook page, but supporting records were unavailable.
“Access to information remains the fuel for every journalist and anytime it becomes selective the story is abandoned,” he said.
“With the increasing insecurity and cost of transportation, journalists go online to access information, and for the state assembly to be completely absent online is an indication that the assembly is not committed to opening its books for the public.”
Ndamitso added that although he was aware of a proposal to establish an official Assembly website during the 10th Assembly between 2023 and 2024, there was no public record indicating how far the initiative had progressed.
“I don’t know whether funds were released or whether the proposal advanced, because there is simply no way for citizens to verify those details online,” he said.
Another journalist, Yunusa Umar, said the absence of an official website extends beyond the media and affects public participation.
“In my opinion, the absence of an official website for the Niger State House of Assembly is a major setback for transparency and public participation in governance,” he said.
“Because there is no functional online platform, many Nigerlites remain unaware of what happens inside the Assembly. This has created a communication gap between lawmakers and the people, reduced accountability, encouraged misinformation, and limited youth engagement in governance.”
Legal experts also argue that proactive publication of public records aligns with the Freedom of Information Act and strengthens accountability.
Abdullah Tijani, a constitutional lawyer, said public institutions are expected to make their records widely accessible.
“All public institutions are required to publish their records as widely as they can, and the only way they can effectively do that in this digital age is through digital means,” he said.
He added that Section 2 of the Freedom of Information Act requires public institutions to proactively record, maintain and publish information about their activities rather than waiting for formal requests.
The situation, experts say, appears inconsistent with Nigeria’s National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy and the country’s commitments under the Open Government Partnership, both of which promote transparency, efficiency and citizen engagement.
Sabo warned that democratic accountability suffers when legislative activities remain difficult for citizens to monitor.
“Accountability is weakened when citizens, journalists, civil society organisations and researchers cannot easily monitor the activities of elected representatives,” he said.
When contacted, the spokesperson for the Niger State House of Assembly, Ruqayyah Tanko, confirmed that the legislature currently has no official website but said plans were underway to establish one.
“There is a proposal for the assembly to have its own website,” she said, although she did not provide a timeline for its completion.
Ndamitso urged the Assembly to prioritise the project, noting that legislative records are valuable not only to journalists but also to researchers, investors and citizens seeking to understand the lawmaking process.
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