How to Write to a Public Office

Before you start

Writing to a public office requires preparation. You need the correct address, the name of the office, and a clear reason for writing.

• The full name and address of the office — for example, 'Ministry of Health, State Secretariat, Abuja.'
• The name and title of the Permanent Secretary or Head of Department, if you know it. You can find this on the office's website or by calling the office.
• A clean sheet of A4 paper and a blue or black pen for signing.
• A copy of the document you are writing about, such as a budget record, a policy document, or a gazette.
• Postage money for registered mail, or travel money to deliver the letter by hand.

Steps

1. Write your address and the date. Put your full address at the top right of the page. Write the date underneath.
2. Write the office address. On the left side of the page, write the full name and address of the public office.
3. Write the subject line. Two lines below the office address, write 'Subject:' followed by a short, clear description of your letter. For example, 'Subject: Request for the 2023 Q4 Health Budget Spending Record for Lagos State.'
4. Address the letter. Write 'Dear Sir' or 'Dear Madam'. If you know the name of the Permanent Secretary, write 'Dear Mr. [Surname]' or 'Dear Mrs. [Surname]'.
5. Write the first paragraph. State who you are and why you are writing. Name the specific document or decision your letter is about.
6. Write the second paragraph. State what you are asking the office to do. Be direct. For example, 'I ask that the ministry publish the spending record for the maternal health line item.'
7. Write the third paragraph. State why the matter is important. Refer to the public record or the law that gives you the right to ask.
8. Close the letter. Write 'Yours faithfully,' on the left. Leave four lines for your signature, then type your full name underneath.
9. Sign the letter. Sign in blue or black ink in the space you left.
10. Make a copy. Photocopy or take a clear photograph of the signed letter. Keep this copy for your records.

What to do if it goes wrong

Sometimes a public office does not reply or refuses to receive a letter. Here is what to do.

• The office refuses to receive your letter. Ask for the name of the officer who refused. Write the name, date, and time on your copy of the letter. Send the letter again by registered post.
• You do not get a reply after 30 days. Write a second letter. Attach a copy of your first letter. Send the second letter by registered post. Keep the post office receipt.
• The reply does not answer your question. Write a third letter. Quote the part of their reply that does not answer your question. Ask for a direct answer. Send this letter by registered post.
• The office says the record does not exist. Ask for a written statement that says the record does not exist. Keep this statement. It is a public record of the gap.

What you should end with

When you finish these steps, you should have a signed and dated letter, a copy of that letter, and a post office receipt if you sent it by registered mail. This is your proof that you wrote to the public office and that the office received your question.

What WATAG does with this

The Advocacy & Leadership Training programme walks through this method. Participants practise writing letters to real public offices. They learn to state a question clearly, to refer to a public record, and to keep a copy of every letter they send.