The Federal Government of Nigeria has approved the recruitment of 50 medical doctors and 100 nurses to strengthen healthcare services across correctional centres in the country.
The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, disclosed this on Tuesday during a courtesy visit by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, in Abuja.
Tunji-Ojo said the approval was granted by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in response to the shortage of medical personnel in several correctional facilities nationwide.
According to the minister, some correctional centres currently operate without qualified medical doctors despite having medical equipment capable of handling major surgeries.
He noted that the decision underscores the president’s commitment to the welfare of all Nigerians, including inmates in the country’s custodial facilities.
“The President understands that he is the President of all Nigerians, including inmates, and he has always shown concern for their welfare,” Tunji-Ojo said.
The minister also highlighted ongoing reforms within the correctional system, including skill development programmes for inmates under a “train-the-trainer” initiative aimed at equipping prisoners with vocational skills.
He explained that the government had conducted skills audits in correctional centres to identify inmates’ talents and enable them to train others, thereby enhancing rehabilitation and reintegration opportunities.
Tunji-Ojo further noted that the government recently increased inmates’ feeding allowances by 50 per cent as part of broader efforts to improve welfare within correctional facilities.
He called on the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation to help communicate the ministry’s reforms and achievements to the public.
The minister also highlighted security initiatives involving the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in protecting critical national assets, including the deployment of specialised “mine marshals” in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development to secure mining sites and curb criminal activities in the sector.
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