Blocked: My Experience Testing Accessibility at MDAs
By Momodu Favour
An Investigative Journalism Reports By Favour Momodu, a Young Journalist at Unfiltered Reporting
The following report details an undercover investigation into the accessibility of three major Nigerian Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs). The objective was to determine how approachable these government bodies are to the average citizen or those bearing vital information for national development. What was discovered reveals a troubling trend of exclusion and rigid bureaucracy that separates the government from the governed.
The first stop in this journey was the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF). Upon arrival, the reception was surprisingly warm, likely because the investigator was dressed professionally to mimic the appearance of a high-status individual. However, this experience proved to be a thin veil for a system designed to delay and deflect rather than engage.
After the initial greeting at the NSITF, the investigator was instructed to fill out a formal document. Despite explaining that the information being brought forward was urgent and highly beneficial to both the agency and society at large, the officials remained unmoved. Instead of granting an audience, they simply stated that the investigator would be called the following week, effectively stalling the interaction.
The investigation then moved to the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development. Here, the investigator posed as an individual looking to invite the Minister to a significant event focused on the welfare of Nigerian women. The goal was to discuss critical social investment programs and the protection of the most vulnerable members of society.
At the reception of the Ministry, a strict gatekeeping mechanism was immediately apparent. The staff checked a pre-approved list of names provided by the Minister’s office. Because the investigator’s name was not on this exclusive register, access was denied regardless of the merit or importance of the proposed discussion.
Even after extensive pleading and explaining how the visit could help the Ministry fulfill its mandate for the vulnerable, the doors remained shut. The experience highlighted a rigid protocol that prioritizes scheduled appointments over the potentially life-saving or transformative ideas that a citizen might bring to the table.
The third agency visited was the Rural Electrification Agency (REA). To test the limits of their gatekeeping, the investigator posed as one sent from the Presidential Villa. The intent was to provide information regarding specific rural communities that had been left in darkness for an extended period.
Surprisingly, even the mention of the “Villa” carried no weight at the REA. The security and administrative staff adhered strictly to their list of names, showing that even high-level political associations are ignored if one is not part of the inner circle. The investigator was once again turned away, leaving the plight of the rural communities unaddressed.
This investigation concludes that these offices have become increasingly inaccessible to the common Nigerian, party members, and even supporters of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The current system suggests that these officials are only reachable by personal friends or those who already possess their private contact information.
This anomaly represents a significant failure in public service, as it suggests that appointees are serving themselves and their associates rather than the nation. For Nigeria to progress, President Tinubu must look into these barriers and ensure that MDAs are open to the people, disciplining those who treat public office as a private estate.
