The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), in collaboration with the Shammies Unusual Heart Foundation, has unveiled a National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB) centre at the Kuje Custodial Centre in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The initiative, launched on Thursday under the theme “Restoring Dignity Through Education and Second Chances,” saw the registration of 70 inmates for the 2025 NABTEB November/December examinations.
Stakeholders hailed the move as a game-changing step towards inmate reintegration and self-empowerment. Speaking during the inauguration ceremony, the Deputy Controller-General of Corrections in charge of Training and Staff Development, Amoran Olarewaju, who represented the Controller-General, Sylvester Ndidi Nwakuche, stressed the transformative power of education in rebuilding lives behind bars.
Olarewaju said, “The significance of today’s event is to ensure that those who are incarcerated are not just locked up, but given wide opportunities to learn and grow. Education can help them reintegrate into society as valuable members, combating the social rejection they face.”
He expressed gratitude to the Shammies Foundation for its consistent support in advancing education in custodial centres. He called on other stakeholders to invest in technical and vocational training that can lead to formal certification, which he described as a step in reducing repeat offences and improving post-incarceration job prospects. “Many people are unaware of the vocational training opportunities available here, but with Shammies Foundation, inmates are engaged in meaningful learning, both theoretically and practically,” he added.
Also speaking during the event, the Executive Director of Shammies Unusual Heart Foundation, Ambassador Saratu Abdullahi, expressed satisfaction over the positive reception of the initiative by the inmates and custodial staff.
Abdullahi said, “The joy I feel from touching lives and witnessing genuine happiness is the most enormous satisfaction for me. This is not the first time we have worked with correctional facilities, and it will not be the last. We have established an ongoing relationship. With the support of my team and the community, we will continue to provide opportunities for the inmates.” She reaffirmed the Foundation’s commitment to expanding access to education and second chances for individuals often overlooked by society, and promised continued collaboration with the NCoS to impact more lives.
The Controller of Corrections for the FCT Command, Bosun Ajibogun, described the NABTEB centre launch as a “monumental breakthrough” in inmate rehabilitation. “What Shammies Foundation has brought — technical and vocational education — is a game changer,” Ajibogun said, while noting the array of learning resources already provided, including laptops, textbooks, and teaching materials. He announced plans to replicate the initiative at the Suleja Custodial Centre, to broaden further the scope and reach of inmate empowerment programmes within the command.
“The impact of what has been done today cannot be overstated. The initiative to immediately register inmates for certification is a monumental step. It is an achievement that I never expected to see in my tenure as Controller,” Ajibogun stated.
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