The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, has sponsored 120 inmates at the Medium Security Correctional Centre, Kuje, Abuja, to sit for the National Examinations Council (NECO) and National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB) examinations.
The gesture, which formed part of activities marking the Speaker’s 61st birthday on Thursday, is aimed at ensuring that incarceration does not prevent inmates from accessing education and acquiring skills for reintegration into society.
Speaking through his Special Assistant on Humanitarian Affairs, David Igbe Okponya, Abbas urged the inmates to remain hopeful and use their time in custody to acquire knowledge and skills.
The Speaker encouraged them to “believe, learn and rebuild”, stressing that their present circumstances should not define their future.
He said whatever brought them to the correctional centre was part of their history but should not determine the rest of their lives.“Use your time here wisely. Read, study, learn a trade, acquire a skill, and build your character,” Abbas said.
The event also featured testimonies from beneficiaries of the Speaker’s previous scholarship programme.
An inmate identified as Adeolu, who benefited from last year’s examination sponsorship, described Abbas as a “foundation builder” for supporting inmates’ educational aspirations.
Another beneficiary, Chikwendu, said he switched from science to arts and obtained seven distinctions in the NECO examination sponsored by the Speaker.
He said, “Last year, you were here to plant a seed. I want you to know that that seed has germinated.”The Education Desk Officer, DSC Adikwu Owoicho, disclosed that more than 2,000 inmates had been registered for various educational programmes across the Federal Capital Territory Command.
He said inmates who participated in the 2025 NECO and NABTEB examinations recorded encouraging performances.
Owoicho added that the Speaker was leading in the sponsorship of NECO and NABTEB registrations for inmates nationwide.
The Controller of Corrections, FCT Command, Christopher Peter Jen, who represented the Comptroller General of Corrections, Sylvester Ndidi Nwakuche, commended the initiative, describing education as a critical component of the Nigerian Correctional Service’s reformation, rehabilitation and reintegration mandate.
He also called for employment opportunities for reformed inmates to enable them contribute meaningfully to national development.
The representative of the Deputy Controller General in charge of Inmates Training and Productivity, SC Igomu Augustine, also appreciated the Speaker for supporting efforts to make inmates productive and prepared for reintegration into society.
The event featured the cutting of the Speaker’s birthday cake with the inmates.