The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has partnered with The Hope Behind Bars Africa (HBBA) to launch a transformative initiative, the Farming Justice Project, aimed at providing inmates at the Kuje Custodial Centre in Abuja with vocational skills, agricultural training, and practical opportunities for rehabilitation.
The project is designed to empower inmates, support their reintegration into society, and contribute to food production within correctional facilities, helping to address both rehabilitation and food security challenges.
At the inauguration ceremony, held on Tuesday in Abuja, the NCoS’s FCT Command Controller, Christopher Jen, expressed optimism about the program’s potential to create a safer and more productive society.
He emphasized that the project aligns with the NCoS’s ongoing efforts to reform custodial facilities and equip inmates with life-changing skills that will better prepare them for life after release.
“This initiative is an important step toward creating a peaceful and more secure Nigeria,” Jen said. “By providing inmates with the skills to become productive members of society, we can reduce the risks of recidivism and contribute to community safety.”
The project, funded by the European Union (EU) through International IDEA, represents a significant shift toward a more restorative justice system, focusing on rehabilitation and reintegration rather than punishment.
It is designed to address the evolving role of correctional centres in Nigeria, ensuring that they reflect the new correctional mandate and provide genuine opportunities for inmate empowerment.
Mrs. Funke Adeoye, Executive Director of HBBA, highlighted the importance of the collaboration between HBBA, the NCoS, and other partners in realizing the goals of the project.
She explained that the seven-year partnership with NCoS has underscored the need for more comprehensive support systems within custodial centres, not just for the management of inmates but for their personal and professional development.
“Through the Farming Justice Project, we are not only addressing food insecurity within correctional facilities but also helping inmates acquire essential life skills that will reduce their chances of reoffending,” Adeoye said. “The agricultural training on offer, such as modern farming practices for crops like okra, watermelon, and tomatoes, is one of the many ways we are enabling inmates to participate meaningfully in the community’s economic and social fabric.”
The initiative also includes the establishment of an experimental farm at the Kuje facility, where inmates are already involved in growing crops. In fact, some of the okra harvested has already been consumed by the inmates themselves, marking a significant achievement in improving food supply within the centre.
Moreover, the program has expanded to other correctional facilities in Nigeria, with a focus on empowering female inmates in Lagos and plans to spread the initiative further.
The collaboration is also supported by various vocational training programs available at the Kuje Custodial Centre, including barbing, embroidery, carpentry, and computer repair.
These skills complement the agricultural training, equipping inmates with diverse competencies to prepare them for a more productive future outside the correctional system.
The Farming Justice Project also addresses the broader issue of awaiting-trial inmates, most of whom will eventually be reintegrated into society.
Adeoye stressed the importance of ensuring that inmates leave correctional centres with practical skills that can help them reintegrate and lead meaningful, productive lives.
“The vast majority of inmates are not on death row,” she pointed out. “They will return to their communities, and it is our duty to prepare them for successful reintegration.
This initiative marks the beginning of a new phase in correctional reform in Nigeria, where rehabilitation and productivity go hand-in-hand.”
In a goodwill message, Mr. Joseph Odeh, representing International IDEA, praised the project’s potential to transform Nigeria’s correctional system.
He reiterated that justice reform is a collective responsibility that requires the active involvement of all sectors of society.
“Justice reform is not the responsibility of any one institution,” Odeh stated. “It requires the collaboration of civil society, the private sector, and governmental bodies to build a justice system that emphasizes human development, reintegration, and sustainable transformation.”
The event concluded with a guided tour of the Kuje Custodial Centre facilities, where attendees visited various skill acquisition centres and saw firsthand the positive impact of the Farming Justice Project on inmate rehabilitation.
