A Federal High Court in Lagos has fixed judgment for February 24, 2026, in a Freedom of Information (FOI) suit filed by journalist and publisher of BONews Service, Ms Blessing Oladunjoye, against the Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) and its Executive Secretary over the institution’s refusal to disclose information requested by her on its compliance with the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR), 2019.
Justice Chukwujekwu Joseph Aneke adjourned the matter for judgment to February 24, 2026, after hearing final arguments from freedom of expression lawyer, Mr Monday Arunsi, who represented Ms Oladunjoye.
In the suit filed on March 1, 2022, by Mr Owolabi Dawodu, a Lagos-based lawyer and member of Media Rights Agenda’s network of lawyers, on behalf of Ms Oladunjoye, the journalist asked the court to declare that the failure and/or refusal by the NSC to grant her access to the information she requested in her letter dated October 26, 2020, is a violation of her right of access to information established and guaranteed by Sections 1(1) and 4 of the FOI Act.
She prayed the court for an order compelling NSC to disclose or make available to her the information, which she had requested in her letter, namely: copies of all data protection policies of NSC, issued in conformity with the NDPR 2019; the name and contact details of the Data Protection Officer of NSC, designated in accordance with the NDPR 2019, together with the institution’s relevant data privacy instruments and data protection directives; details of all capacity building training or other capacity building activities undertaken for the Data Protection Officer of NSC and other personnel of the institution involved in any form of data processing since the issuance of the NDPR 2019; and the number of persons or individuals whose personal data the NSC processes on an annual basis, that is over a period of 12 months.
Ms Oladunjoye also asked for a report of the detailed audit conducted by NSC of its privacy and data protection practices in accordance with the NDPR 2019, containing, among others, the personally identifiable information that NSC collects on its employees and members of the public; the purpose for which the personally identifiable information is collected; copies of any and all notices given to individuals regarding the collection and use of their personal information; and details of any access or opportunities given to individuals to review, amend, correct, supplement, or delete their personal information collected or held by NSC; information on whether or not consent is obtained from an individual before personally identifiable information is collected, used, transferred, or disclosed, and details of any method used to obtain consent; copies of the policies of NSC and details of its practices for ensuring the security of personally identifiable information; copies of the policies of NSC and details of its practices for the proper use of personally identifiable information; copies of NSC’s policies and details of its procedures for privacy and data protection; copies of NSC’s policies and details of its procedures for monitoring and reporting violations of privacy and data protection policies; and copies of NSC’s policies and details of its procedures for assessing the impact of technologies on its stated privacy and security policies.
Ms Oladunjoye is also seeking an order directing NSC and its Director-General to pay her the sum of ₦1 Million as exemplary and aggravated damages for the flagrant and unlawful violation of her right of access to information and the wrongful denial of the information to her.
During the Court proceedings on December 1, 2025, Ms Oladunjoye was represented by Mr Arunsi, while the NSC and its Executive Secretary were not represented by any lawyer and were absent from court.
Mr Arunsi informed the Court that the matter had been scheduled for the hearing of the substantive suit, noting that proceedings at the last adjourned date were stalled and subsequently adjourned to today at the instance of the National NSC and its Executive Secretary. He observed that it was unfortunate that they were not present in Court despite the adjournment being at their request. He nevertheless stated that the Applicant was ready to proceed with the business of the day.
He further informed the Court that the NSC and its Executive Secretary had filed a Notice of Preliminary Objection (PO) dated and filed on May 30, 2022, challenging the Court’s jurisdiction and seeking to have the suit struck out. He added that they also filed a six-paragraph Counter-Affidavit together with a written address dated and filed on February 24, 2024. He, therefore, prayed the Court to deem the said Preliminary Objection as properly argued.
Mr Arunsi also stated that, in response, Ms Oladunjoye filed a 17-paragraph Counter-Affidavit and a written address dated and filed on October 17, 2022, opposing the Preliminary Objection and urged the Court to dismiss it in its entirety.
Mr Arunsi accordingly adopted the Motion on Notice filed and dated January 10, 2022, and urged the Court to grant all the reliefs sought, following which the judge fixed judgment for February 24, 2026.
