The Federal Government is transforming Nigeria’s correctional centres into productive food hubs, aiming to strengthen rehabilitation, vocational training, and inmate reintegration through public-private partnerships (PPPs).
Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, announced this initiative at a stakeholders’ roundtable in Abuja, emphasising the shift from purely custodial facilities to institutions of human development.
Tunji-Ojo highlighted that PPPs will provide innovation, funding, and technical expertise to modernise infrastructure, expand vocational skills, and enhance operational efficiency across correctional facilities.
Agriculture, he noted, is a key area, with farm centres positioned to boost both food security and inmate empowerment.
Partnerships with sectors like construction, ICT, and manufacturing are also planned to improve employability and reduce recidivism.
Controller-General of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), Sylvester Nwakuche, revealed that the agency currently manages 18 farm centres and 10 cottage industries across 10,000 hectares, including projects in fishery, poultry, and piggery.
He stressed that private-sector collaboration is crucial to fully realise these operations’ potential.
Hope Behind Bars Africa, through its Farming Justice Project, has been equipping inmates with agricultural and entrepreneurial skills in facilities such as Kuje, Kirikiri Female, Dukpa, and Oko.
Executive Director Funke Adeoye noted that the initiative has positively impacted hundreds of inmates, officers, families, and surrounding communities, in partnership with the NCoS and supported by the EU and RoLAC.
In addition, the government plans to integrate inmates and ex-inmates into the National Social Register, currently capturing 19.7 million households, to ensure they access social protection and reduce recidivism.
Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Dr Bernard Doro, said this move aligns with broader poverty graduation reforms, aiming to move beneficiaries toward sustainable economic independence while improving targeting and transparency of social interventions.