Category: Society & Lifestyle

 

 

 

A Non-Governmental Organisation, Hope Behind Bars Africa, has inaugurated the Farming Justice Project at the Kuje Custodial Centre in Abuja to promote inmate rehabilitation and tackle food insecurity within correctional facilities.

 

The initiative, implemented in partnership with the Nigerian Correctional Service, is funded by the European Union through International IDEA under the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption Programme.

 

At the official launch on Tuesday, the Executive Director of HBBA, Funke Adeoye, described the project as a practical response to Nigeria’s evolving correctional mandate.

 

“With the change in nomenclature from ‘prison’ to ‘correctional service,’ there is a need to ensure that our custodial centres reflect that change through genuine rehabilitation and empowerment,” she said.

Adeoye explained that the Farming Justice Project integrates agriculture with restorative justice principles, giving inmates the opportunity to gain life skills and contribute meaningfully to society both during and after incarceration.

 

She noted that the initiative seeks to empower inmates through agricultural training and practical food production, adding that over 80 inmates are currently being trained in modern techniques for okra, watermelon, and tomato cultivation.

 

“Some of our harvested okra has already been consumed by inmates, showing real progress in tackling food shortages in custodial centres,” she said.

 

The project currently operates at the Kuje Custodial Centre and the Dukpa Farm Centre in Abuja, with plans to replicate the model in other facilities across the country, including Lagos, where HBBA has previously worked with female inmates on similar agricultural initiatives.

 

“Our goal is to reduce recidivism by equipping inmates with viable means of livelihood after serving their sentences.

 

“We are calling on partners and well-meaning Nigerians to support the NCoS in ensuring effective rehabilitation and reintegration of inmates,” Adeoye added.

 

She commended the Comptroller General of the Nigerian Correctional Service, Sylvester Nwakuche, for his support and openness to public-private partnerships aimed at reforming correctional practices.

On the broader issue of incarceration, Adeoye emphasised the importance of preparing inmates for reintegration into society.

 

“Out of over 80,000 inmates nationwide, only about 3,600 are on death row. This means a large number will eventually return to our communities. Therefore, it is our responsibility to ensure they come out better prepared for productive living,” she said.

 

In his welcome remarks, the Controller of Corrections for the FCT Command, Christopher Jen, praised the initiative as a significant step towards building a more peaceful and secure Nigeria.

“My desire is to see a better Nigeria tomorrow where everyone will live without fear or anxiety.

 

“The enthusiasm and willingness of inmates to learn skills today give me confidence that such a future is possible,” Jen said.

 

He described the Kuje Custodial Centre as a “centre of excellence” in vocational training, listing ongoing programmes such as barbing, embroidery, carpentry, plumbing, electrical work, shoemaking, soap making, and fishery.

 

In a goodwill message, Joseph Odeh, a representative of International IDEA, stressed the importance of collective effort in justice reform.

 

“Justice reform is not the responsibility of one institution alone. It is a shared mission that requires the active participation of all sectors of society.

 

“Let this day mark the beginning of a new chapter in our justice system—one that prioritises human development, community reintegration, and sustainable transformation,” he said.

 

The event featured a guided tour of the Kuje facility, the unveiling of the Farming Justice Project, and visits to various skill acquisition centres where inmates are receiving hands-on vocational training.

 

 

The National Primary Health Care Development Agency, in collaboration with state governments and development partners, has intensified efforts to vaccinate 106 million Nigerian children against vaccine-preventable diseases.

 

The nationwide initiative aims to raise awareness for the ongoing Integrated Measles-Rubella, Polio, and Human Papillomavirus vaccination campaign, which will run from October 2025 to February 2026.

 

This large-scale vaccination exercise reflects the agency’s commitment to ensuring that no child is left unprotected while strengthening partnerships between national and state health authorities to achieve improved health outcomes for children across the country.

 

On October 6, the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, who flagged off the Measles–Rubella campaign, described the exercise as a bold step toward protecting the lives and future of children.

 

Speaking during a road walk and health show in Abuja, the Director of Disease Control and Immunisation at NPHCDA, Dr Garuba Rufai, described the exercise as part of a broad awareness campaign currently taking place across 11 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

 

“This is part of our awareness campaign for the measles-rubella integrated campaign that is currently ongoing in 11 states and the FCT.

 

“As we speak, in those 11 states and the FCT, children aged zero to 14 years are being vaccinated with the measles-rubella vaccine and the polio vaccine. The HPV vaccine is for girls aged nine to 14 years, alongside the routine immunisation vaccines,” Dr Rufai explained.

 

He added that the campaign is being implemented in collaboration with other health programmes, including malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs).

 

“We are also collaborating with the malaria programme, and we are providing what we call seasonal malaria prophylaxis in a couple of the states. We’re also working with the NTDs programme to manage some of the diseases in states where they are prevalent,” he noted.

 

According to Dr Rufai, several strategies have been deployed nationwide to ensure that the campaign reaches every eligible child.

 

“We have all of our social mobilisation efforts, including the use of public announcement vans. We have engaged with communities and different groups — teachers, parents, physicians, ministries such as education, religious bodies, and traditional leaders,” he said.

 

He disclosed that similar road walks are being replicated across participating states, supported by state governments, the wives of governors, and local government chairpersons.

 

Rufai revealed that while the first phase of the campaign covers 11 states and the FCT, the next phase will commence soon.

 

“We intend to vaccinate 106 million Nigerians by the end of February. We’re starting with 11 states and the FCT now. By October 18, we’ll move to the next stream of states, which will complete the first phase for this year. By January next year, we’ll continue with phase two, and also in February,” he explained.

He urged parents and caregivers to take advantage of the ongoing exercise.

“Nigerians should come out en masse and get their children vaccinated — not just for this campaign, but also by taking their children to health facilities for routine vaccines. The diseases are not waiting; they do not know any political party, religion, or tribe.

 

“When a child catches one of these diseases and develops complications, something as seemingly simple as measles can make a child go blind. Why would anyone wait for that to happen? Why would any woman allow herself to give birth to a child only to lose them before they reach their full potential?” he added.

 

The World Health Organisation (WHO) FCT Coordinator, Dr Kumshida Balami, emphasised that vaccines are both safe and effective, stressing the need to eliminate diseases that should no longer claim lives in the 21st century.

 

“We cannot be in this century and still have children coming down with measles or polio. We cannot still have women dying from cervical cancer simply caused by the human papillomavirus — a disease that can be prevented through vaccination,” she said.

 

She further urged parents and caregivers to ensure that all eligible children receive the necessary vaccines, noting that the goal is to safeguard lives and build trust in the nation’s health system.

 

Similarly, the Executive Director of the NPHCDA, Dr Muyi Aina, together with the Mandate Secretary of the Health Services and Environment Secretariat of the Federal Capital Territory Administration, Dr Adedolapo Fasawe, on Friday led a joint monitoring team to assess the progress of the ongoing vaccination campaign.

 

The monitoring team visited Primary Health Care Centres within and outside the FCT, including the Chikora North PHC in Kogi Local Government Area, Kogi State, and the New Township PHC in Abaji Area Council, Abuja.

 

A press statement released on Saturday and signed by Mrs Bola Ajao, Special Adviser to Dr Fasawe, noted that the team also visited surrounding communities, sensitising mothers and caregivers on the importance of immunisation and advising them to ensure their children are vaccinated and properly finger-marked as evidence of vaccination.

 

Dr Aina commended the dedication of frontline health workers and encouraged them to maintain accuracy and honesty in data reporting, stressing that verified data — whether targets are achieved or not — are crucial for effective planning and sustainable health sector improvement.

 

He explained that the monitoring visits were designed to evaluate coverage levels and workforce commitment, particularly in hard-to-reach areas, and to ensure credible, on-the-spot assessments of field operations.

 

Aina further assured health providers that the Federal Government is aware of their challenges and is taking steps to address them under the Renewed Hope Health Reform Agenda of the present administration, aimed at delivering equitable and efficient healthcare services across the nation.

“At the New Township PHC, Abaji, Dr Fasawe personally administered vaccines to infants and sensitised mothers on the importance of routine immunisation to prevent child-killer diseases and avoidable deaths. She urged parents to spread the message within their communities, noting that unvaccinated children remain at high risk of contracting measles (rubeola) and rubella (German measles) — viral infections that can lead to blindness, brain damage, hearing loss, congenital defects, and even death.

“Both health leaders commended the turnout and coverage recorded by the vaccination teams so far, urging them to remain proactive and adhere strictly to safety standards. During the visit, the delegation also attended to a 13-year-old patient at the Kogi PHC and recommended follow-up care to ensure effective service delivery,” the statement highlighted.