The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) said 62 inmates in Kano, North-west Nigeria, have completed their O’Level programme.
The inmates participated in the NCoS Continuing Education Programme, culminating in their sitting the National Examination Council (NECO) and the National Board for Arabic and Islamic Studies (NBAIS) examinations.
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On Friday, the NCoS organised a graduation ceremony for the 62 inmates who completed the programme.
Ado Inuwa, the Controller of NCos in Kano State, who spoke at the event, expressed satisfacfion in the performance of the graduating inmates during the programme.
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The Guardian reported that Mr Inuwa said that the programme, initiated in line with the NCoS Act 2019 and global correctional practices, aims to offer inmates the chance to build intellectual and vocational skills while serving their sentences.
If information about the results of the NECO and NBAIS examinations taken by the inmates was disclosed at the event, it was not captured in The Guardian’s report.
But the report quoted Mr Inuwa as saying that the support provided through the continuing education programme of the NCoS “has led to many inmates graduating with credit passes in subjects including English Language and Mathematics.”
Candidates who make the minimum number of credit passes in including Mathematics and English Language will be able to further their education to tertiary level while they are still in custody or have been released.
For years the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) has offered university education opportunities to inmates serving jail time in the correctional centres across the country.
Mr Inuwa said “the milestone”, referring to the 62 inmate’s completion of the O’Level programme, “is not only a testament to the resilience of the inmates but also a sign that the renewed hope agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is taking root in correctional practices. ”
He emphasised that the initiative was designed to rehabilitate and reform inmates, preparing them to become better citizens upon their eventual release.
The controller commended the Controller General of Corrections (CGC), Sylvester Nwakuche, for his continued support in enhancing inmate welfare and facilitating productive engagement through educational and vocational training.
He also appreciated Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf for his support, which, according to him, has enabled inmates to go for their academic pursuits without hitches and benefit from improved healthcare services in custodial centres all over the state.
Schooling for inmates
The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, said Tuesday that the NCoS trained and rehabilitated no fewer than 3,030 inmates in various skills across the 256 custodial centres across the nation between July and December 2024 alone.
He said this in Abuja during a media briefing and interactive session with heads of the six agencies under the ministry last January.
The minister explained that the inmates acquired skills in carpentry, tailoring, poultry, hairdressing, and fishery, among others.
He also said 50 other inmates’ were pursuing various academic programmes at the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN).
“Correctional centres are now places of hope and transformation. This is to make sure that when people go in there, it does not mean it is the end of their lives; they can learn.
“People can go in there and go to schools, get certificates or get hands-on skills.
“So that when they leave the correctional centres, they can be useful to themselves and will not see crime as the only option for survival,” the minister said.
Mr Tunji-Ojo said the e-library in Kuje Custodial Centre in the Federal Capital Territory has also become functional for the inmates to patronise and equip themselves with knowledge.
The minister also said over 5,000 offenders served different non-custodial sentences between the timeframe.
