The Right to Information Commission will mark Right to Information Month 2026 throughout September with a nationwide public awareness campaign focused on access to information and the dangers of information disorder in the digital age.
The month-long programme, which begins on 1 September, is intended to support the effective implementation of the Right to Information Act, 2019 (Act 989), while improving public understanding of the rights and responsibilities created by the law.
This year’s commemoration will be held under the theme: “Upholding Information Integrity in the Digital Age: The Role of Access to Information in Addressing Information Disorder.”
The Commission said access to information was essential to transparency, accountability, inclusive participation and good governance. It said the September activities would provide an opportunity to explain how the law operates and the responsibilities placed on public institutions.
Media campaign and stakeholder conference
As part of the programme, Commission officials will take part in media outreach activities, including radio and television interviews, in Accra, Kumasi, Sunyani and Bolgatanga.
Those engagements will run from 1 to 28 September and are designed to reach the public with information about the provisions of Act 989. They will also draw attention to the duties of public institutions in making information available.
The activities will culminate in a Stakeholder Conference on 24 September. The event will bring together representatives of ministries, departments and agencies, as well as metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies.
Civil society organisations, the media, academia, traditional authorities and development partners will also be represented at the conference.
Discussions will centre on practical measures to tackle information disorder and improve information integrity across Ghana’s digital information ecosystem. Participants will also consider ways to encourage meaningful public involvement in decision-making.
The conference is expected to produce practical recommendations aimed at strengthening the quality and reliability of information available to the public.
The September programme will conclude with the commemoration of the International Day for Universal Access to Information on 28 September.
Call for greater compliance
The RTI Commission has urged public institutions to improve proactive disclosure and fully meet their obligations under Act 989.
Proactive disclosure refers to the release of information by public institutions without waiting for a formal request. The Commission said stronger compliance would help ensure that citizens could access information in a timely and effective way.
It also called on media organisations and civil society groups to continue supporting the public’s right to information and to promote the distribution of accurate and verified material.
Citizens, meanwhile, have been encouraged to use their right to information responsibly, depend on credible sources and play their part in creating a well-informed society.
The Commission said the activities were intended not only to raise awareness of the law, but also to reinforce the importance of reliable information in supporting public participation, accountability and good governance.
