Pulse.ng : Without Access to Information, Inequality Deepens

By Sani Idris Abdulrahman

A Kaduna-based NGO, the BEACON of Transformative and Inclusive Development Center has marked the 2025 World Development Information Day with a call for equitable access to information as a tool for empowerment and inclusion.

The day, observed globally on October 24, highlights the role of information and communication in promoting development and addressing inequalities across societies.

Executive Director of BEACON, Abigail Olatunde, in a statement issued to newsmen on Friday in Kaduna, said information shapes power, determining who participates, decides, and who is left behind in development processes.

She said equitable development cannot be achieved without equitable access to information, noting that in today’s connected world, information gaps remain one of the deepest divides.

Olatunde stressed that access to accurate, inclusive, and timely information is a right, not a privilege, as it enables citizens to make informed decisions and hold institutions accountable.

She observed that millions across Nigeria and the Global South — particularly persons with disabilities, rural women, and young people — still lack access to vital development information.

According to her, digital exclusion, limited literacy, and inaccessible communication formats continue to silence critical voices and hinder inclusive growth.

“When people have access to information, they have access to power. When information excludes, inequality deepens,” Olatunde stated.

She called on governments, the media, and development partners to promote open data and transparency to ensure that information is accessible to all citizens.

Olatunde also urged investment in digital inclusion and literacy, particularly for women, youth, and persons with disabilities, to enhance participation in development.

She further emphasized the need to enforce accessibility standards across public communication platforms and digital tools to bridge the information gap.

According to her, community media and civic education should be strengthened to ensure that development conversations are inclusive and participatory.

She noted that the true power of information lies not only in how much is shared, but in who can understand and use it meaningfully.

Olatunde added that as technology advances, the global challenge is to connect people meaningfully, inclusively, and responsibly.

She concluded that a truly developed world is not one with more information, but one where everyone has equal access to truth, voice, and opportunity.