MONROVIA – A transparency law that citizens cannot name is a law that mostly sleeps. That is the hard finding from Grand Gedeh. Sixteen years after the Freedom of Information Act was enacted, 87.6 percent of respondents had never heard of it. Apathy is not the explanation. Nearly 96 percent want access to public information. The barrier looks like fear and distance. About 85 percent believe citizens are afraid to request information from public institutions. The survey also challenges an old assumption about the southeast. Over three-quarters of respondents use the internet regularly. The Independent Information Commission now proposes a regional hub. Whether county offices obey the law remains the real measure. THE ANALYST reports.
Sixteen years after Liberia enacted its Freedom of Information (FOI) Act of 2010, nearly nine in 10 residents surveyed in Grand Gedeh County say they have never heard of it. A Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices (KAP) survey conducted by the Independent Information Commission (IIC) found that 87.6 percent of 1,875 respondents had never heard of the legislation.
The Commission’s Outreach Department carried out the survey October 14–17, 2026, as part of a broader initiative to strengthen public awareness, promote transparency, and bring access-to-information services closer to residents of southeastern Liberia.
According to the Commission’s final activity report, each Data Collector reached 75 respondents, bringing the total to 1,875.
Few know how to request
Beyond limited awareness of the Act, the survey found that 85.3 percent of respondents did not know how to submit a Freedom of Information request, and 85.5 percent did not know where such requests should be sent.
Another 85.3 percent said they believed citizens were afraid to request information from public institutions, a finding the Commission said raises concerns about public confidence and the practical exercise of information rights.
Strong backing for openness
Despite those gaps, the survey showed strong support for transparency and accountability. About 95.6 percent of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that citizens should have access to public information, while 94.9 percent believed such access improves government accountability.
Some 90.2 percent supported sustained public awareness campaigns on the FOI Law.
The results present a clear contrast. Many residents support the principle of government openness, yet a substantial majority are unfamiliar with the law that gives them the right to request public information.
The findings, the Commission said, underscore the need to move beyond the existence of legislation and invest in practical education that helps ordinary citizens use the law in daily life.
Radio and digital channels favored
The survey also offered guidance on how the Commission can reach more residents. Radio was the preferred channel for FOI awareness for 88.9 percent of respondents, while 80.4 percent identified community engagement as another important means of public education.
The results also point to opportunities for digital outreach. About 77.6 percent of respondents reported regular internet use, and 81.4 percent said they would be willing to use an official FOI
website to learn about their rights or request public information.
The findings suggest the Commission could combine radio discussions, community outreach and digital platforms to strengthen awareness across Grand Gedeh and other underserved counties.
Local youth trained as FOI Ambassadors
One of the initiative’s major achievements, according to the Commission, was the recruitment and training of 25 young people from Grand Gedeh to serve as Data Collectors and FOI Ambassadors.
Unlike approaches that rely entirely on personnel brought in from other counties, the IIC recruited local residents and equipped them with knowledge of the FOI Act, professional interviewing techniques, research ethics, data integrity, and digital data collection using KoBoCollect.
The one-day training took place October 14 at the Administrative Building Community in Zwedru. It brought together the selected Data Collectors, representatives of the county administration, and IIC officials.
Information Commissioner Hon. Joash T. Hodges stressed data integrity and professionalism. He reminded participants that the information they gathered would help the Commission design future programs around the specific needs and realities of Grand Gedeh.
Speaking during the Data Collectors’ training, Ministry of Justice (MOJ) representative Joseph Jallah commended the Commission for extending its work to the county and appealed for a regional FOI Hub to serve southeastern Liberia.
Jallah said such a facility could give thousands of residents across the region greater opportunity to understand and exercise their rights under the Act.
Acting Outreach Director Jutomue Doetein led sessions on the constitutional and legal foundations of the right to information, citizens’ rights under the FOI Act, and the importance of professional data collection for evidence-based decision-making.
Acting Compliance Director Armah B. Johnson educated participants on the obligations of public institutions under the law, including appointing Public Information Officers, proactively disclosing information, and handling information requests and complaints.
Speaking on behalf of the participants, Purity S. Free thanked the Commission for giving young people in Grand Gedeh a chance to learn about the FOI Law and take part in a professional data collection exercise.
She particularly welcomed the decision to recruit local enumerators rather than bring in personnel from other counties.
Callers describe difficulty getting information
As part of the intervention, Doetein and Johnson appeared on TOP FM’s Morning Breakfast Programme to discuss the Commission’s mission in Grand Gedeh and educate listeners about their rights under the Act.
Doetein focused on citizens’ right to request public information and the role of access to information in promoting transparency, accountability and public participation in governance.
Johnson explained the corresponding obligations of public institutions, stressing that government offices operating at county and local levels are also required to comply with the law.
During the one-hour program, 10 callers expressed dissatisfaction over difficulties they said residents face when seeking information from public institutions in the county.
Their contributions gave additional insight into the concerns of ordinary residents and reinforced the importance of ensuring that public institutions respond appropriately to information requests.
The Commission noted that the callers’ accounts were not independently verified as violations of the law, but said they highlighted the need for stronger engagement between the IIC, local institutions and community members.
Call for a regional FOI Hub
The initiative also produced a proposal to establish a regional Freedom of Information Hub in Grand Gedeh.
The proposal, the Commission said, reflects a broader need to decentralize access-to-information services and reduce the distance between citizens and the institutions responsible for protecting their rights.
Welcoming the IIC delegation on behalf of the Office of the Superintendent, Hon. Tarley A. Dweh congratulated the participants and urged them to collect accurate and reliable data. He thanked the Commission for extending its activities to Grand Gedeh and expressed the county administration’s commitment to supporting efforts that promote public access to information.
Commission’s recommendations
Following the exercise, the Commission’s report recommended sustained community-based FOI awareness campaigns, targeted engagement with county-level public institutions and continued radio education programs.
The Commission also recommended support for the 25 trained local FOI Ambassadors, a feasibility assessment for a regional FOI Hub in Grand Gedeh, and expanded digital access to information services.
The findings will also serve as a baseline for designing future interventions and measuring improvements in public knowledge and use of the law. The Grand Gedeh initiative builds on similar KAP surveys the Commission conducted in Montserrado and Grand Bassa Counties in June 2026.
For the IIC, the exercise was about more than collecting data. It demonstrated, the Commission said, the importance of bringing national laws closer to the communities they are meant to serve while empowering local residents to take an active role in promoting accountability.
The central lesson from Grand Gedeh, according to the Commission, is that passing a law is only the beginning. Its real impact is felt when ordinary citizens know their rights, understand how to exercise them, and can confidently approach public institutions for information.