ABUJA – The House of Representatives Committee on Reformatory Institutions, has called for urgent upgrade of infrastructure across Nigeria’s correctional centres.
The committee Chairman, Rep. Chinedu Ogah (APC-Ebonyi) made the call while on an oversight visit to the Minister incharge of Interior, Mr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, in Abuja on Friday.
He expressed optimism that ongoing reforms in correctional facilities, particularly in addressing overcrowding and poor feeding conditions would align with global standards.
Ogah said the committee had assessed various ongoing initiatives within the correctional system and found a compelling need for accelerated infrastructural development to support the reforms.
The chairman noted that the visit to the minister was part of efforts to enhance legislative oversight and ensure that government’s policies reflected international best practices.
“This engagement is not just another oversight function. It is a deliberate effort to commend the interior minister’s strategic leadership and the measurable progress made under his watch,”Ogah said.
He acknowledged that President Bola Tinubu administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda is beginning to take root in the rehabilitation of reformatory institutions.
According to him, this has led to improved international perception of Nigeria’s correctional system, noticeable upgrades to facilities, and increased support for inmate rehabilitation.
“We came to acknowledge and appreciate the innovative leadership style of the minister. The reforms we are seeing today speak to the intentionality of this administration.
“Nigerians are gaining more respect globally, and within our borders, change is visible in the correctional sector,” he said.
Responding, Tunji-Ojo emphasised that the transformation of Nigeria’s correctional system is being driven by data and strategy, rather than sentiment.
He said that decisions regarding siting of new custodial centres must be informed by population data and security considerations, not politics.
The minister said that contrary to public belief, some correctional facilities are operating below maximum capacity.
He argued that project location and funding should be strictly based on national need and security concerns.
Tunji-Ojo said that the Federal government’s goal goes beyond decongestion, saying that quality upgrades are underway.
He said that the Kuje Custodial Centre is now a model facility where medical surgeries had been conducted successfully due to availability of modern equipment and a fully functional medical laboratory.
“The President has approved recruitment of 50 medical doctors and 100 nurses, as well as a directive that all NYSC medical corps members served in our correctional facilities to boost healthcare access.”
The minister said that Tinubu had approved an increase in the daily feeding allowance for inmates, as part of broader efforts to restore dignity and ensure genuine rehabilitation.
He said that thousands of inmates were now enrolled in vocational and life skill programmes, marking a shift from punitive incarceration to reformation and reintegration.
On the issue of security, Tunji-Ojo stressed the importance of proper location for custodial facilities.
“You cannot put a custodial centre in a valley surrounded by unowned hills. That is a security nightmare. Any attacker can gain elevation and compromise our officers and infrastructure,”he said.
He urged the lawmakers to continue to support legislation that would promote non-custodial sentencing options, encourage collaboration between Federal and state governments, and provide funding for strategic development of new facilities.
The minister also informed the committee that recruitment had commenced into several key agencies under his ministry.
He said the portal is now open to legible Nigerians to apply to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) Federal Fire Service, and the Nigerian Correctional Service. (NAN)
