Right to

Access to information is a critical enabler of informed expression, participation in governance, and public accountability.

Information

Transparency

Disclosure is not enough to bring change to people’s lives—citizen participation and demand for information matter, as do accountability mechanisms.

Accountability

Membership

Coalitions are critical for increasing the legitimacy of issues, as well as for pulling together critical resources, expertise, and connections with key decisionmakers.

Development

Institutional

To support our members in making change, we must ourselves be resourced, sustainable, and effective.

Development

Events

Resources

Strategic Plan

Who We Are

A pan-African, membership-based civil society network and resource center promoting the right of access to information, transparency and accountability across Africa.

Our Membership & Governance

First registered in 2007 in Nigeria, & established a permanent office in Uganda in 2009. Our network comprises 46 CSOs & think tanks across 23 African countries. The General Assembly provides overall strategic direction and elects a Governing Council that manages the Secretariat.

Our Vision

An Africa where all citizens can exercise their right of access to information.

Our Mission

Support a pan-African net-work of actors to advance the right of access to information on the African continent.

AFIC and Partners hold a panel discussion at the UN CSW66

Tackling Foundations of Inequality: Understanding the Barriers to Women’s Participation in Public Procurement in East Africa.

Our Projects

Right To Information

We actively campaign for ratification and domestication of African Union treaties that recognise the right to information, undertake promotional measures to support the implementation of access to information laws.

Transparency and Accountability

We aim to promote adoption and implementation of open contracting standards and norms by governments, strengthen capacity of CSOs and other stakeholders to use published data to promote efficiency.

Hosted Programs

Beyond its programmes, AFIC has become a home to and supported other initiatives that promote public access to information and transparency and accountability at national, regional and international level.

Members

African Countries

ATI Laws

"Every African country should urgently adopt and implement Access to Information laws to save lives."

"Access to Information is the bridge to Sustainable Development."

"We reduce uncertainty when we have access to information."

"People must have information for informed debate."

"Effective citizen action is possible if citizens develop the abilities to gain access to information of all kinds and the skills to put such information to effective use."

"The free access to information is not a privilege, but a necessity for any free society."

"You have to understand not just what your customers need, but how and where they prefer to access information."

"Ensuring the access of all citizens to government information and to essential information for human development is a must for every democratic society."

"Enabling millions to enjoy access to knowledge & information which broadens horizons, increases opportunities & creates alternatives for building a better life."

"If you live in a democracy and don't have freedom of information, it's not a democracy. If you don't have freedom of information online, it's not going to be offline, either."