Today, on International Day for Universal Access to Information, IPI calls on governments in Africa to meet their obligations to ensure access to information, in accordance with regional instruments such as the Declaration of Principles for Freedom of Expression and Access to Information in Africa and the Model Law for Access to Information in Africa. This includes safeguarding access to and the safety of online spaces.

In November 2015, UNESCO declared September 28 as International Day for Universal Access to Information to celebrate and recognize the international right to receive and impart information. This year’s theme recognizes ‘’the importance of the online space for access to information’’.

In light of the role that journalists play in enabling access to information by the public, African states should create an enabling environment for the exercise of these rights both online and offline.

Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights provides that every individual shall have the right to access information. This commitment is summarized in IPI’s new resource toolkit Foundations of Press Freedom in Africa, which highlights the key international,  regional, and sub-regional frameworks for the protection of media freedom, access to information, and the safety of journalists in Africa.

Access to information laws remain wanting

Despite strong legal frameworks requiring states to ensure the public has access to information, governments across Africa are often in practice undermining this essential human right.

“A good law is as good as its implementation and enforcement. Public officials sometimes are reluctant to disclose certain information where the wrong decisions may have been made or procedures not followed’’ Gilbert Sendugwa, Executive Director at the Africa Freedom of Information Centre (AFIC), in Uganda, told IPI. ‘’All African countries yet to adopt right-to-information laws should provide for independent information commissions while those with laws but without oversight should urgently amend the laws to provide an effective oversight”.

Obstructing journalists’ work 

The challenges to access to information extend beyond FOI laws. IPI’s press freedom monitoring shows that states continue to obstruct and restrict journalists’ ability to provide the public with relevant news and information. For example, Zimbabwe’s August 2023 general elections witnessed several cases of both local and foreign journalists being barred from undertaking election coverage by either being denied access to a polling station, not being granted accreditation, or in other instances having their equipment seized. As a result, some journalists could not undertake their role as providers of public interest information during that critical process.

Internet shutdowns and cyber attacks

Internet shutdowns are also increasingly being used in Africa to prevent the public from accessing information and public-interest news. In August 2023, IPI joined the global civil society coalition #KeepItOn Coalition in condemning internet shutdowns in Senegal following the shutdown of mobile internet on July 31 and the blocking of TikTok on August 2. Internet shutdowns and mobile connectivity restrictions have also happened in Mauritania and Guinea.

Cyber attacks that disrupt the media’s ability to reach audiences are also a growing problem. Recently, IPI members Somali Journalists Syndicate and Daily Maverick were also targeted by distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks which made it difficult for their audiences to access information.

Urgent call to protect access to information

The above-mentioned examples highlight the need for countries in Africa to urgently improve access to information both online and offline for journalists and the public.

“On International Access to Information Day, IPI calls on governments in Africa to take concrete action to comply with the standards laid out in regional instruments such as the Declaration of Principles for Freedom of Expression and Access to Information in Africa and the Model Law for Access to Information in Africa among others’’, Nompilo Simanje, IPI’s Africa Advocacy and Partnerships Lead, said. “Journalists and civil society in many countries in Africa are instead increasingly faced with a myriad of restrictions and challenges that undermine their ability to share critical news and information.”