Right to Access Information Commission

Dr. Ibrahim Seaga Shaw is the Chairman and Information Commissioner of Sierra Leone’s Right to Access Information Commission (RAIC), a role he has held since October 2018 and to which he was reappointed for a second five-year term in November 2023. A renowned academic, journalist, and policy expert, Dr. Shaw brings over two decades of experience spanning media, governance, human rights, and international development.

Prior to his appointment, Dr. Shaw was a Senior Lecturer in Media and Politics at Northumbria University in the United Kingdom, where he served from 2011 to 2018. He supervised several PhD students in journalism, conflict, and political communication, and examined doctoral theses both in the UK and Sierra Leone. He previously held academic and research roles at the University of the West of England and contributed to media and policy discourse through his work with the Bristol Legacy Commission and UNESCO, for which he authored a module on humanitarian journalism.

Under his leadership, the RAIC has undergone a significant transformation, establishing national and international visibility. The Commission published its first annual report in 2019, became an accredited member of the International Conference of Information Commissioners (ICIC), and played a central role in the UN’s proclamation of September 28 as the International Day for Universal Access to Information. Dr. Shaw continues to serve on the ICIC Executive Committee.

Dr. Shaw is the author and editor of several influential publications, including Human Rights Journalism (Palgrave Macmillan) and Business Journalism: A Critical Political Economy Approach (Routledge). He holds a PhD in Information and Communication from Sorbonne University, an MSc in Development Studies from London South Bank University, and a BA in International Relations from Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone.