NOUN Empowers Kuje Inmates With Degrees, Proving Education Can Transform Lives

According to Ireporter Online, the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) has awarded degree certificates to six inmates at the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Kuje, Abuja. The ceremony highlighted the potential of education to transform lives, even for those in custody.

Speaking at the event, the Controller General of the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS), Mr. Sylvester Nwakuche, commended the graduates for their determination and resilience, noting that they pursued various NOUN programmes while serving their sentences. Nwakuche, represented by the Deputy Controller General, Dr. Amos Kupan, emphasized that incarceration does not mark an end but can serve as an opportunity for growth, skill acquisition, and successful reintegration into society.

The graduates received degrees in multiple disciplines, including two Master’s Degrees in Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution, and four Bachelor’s Degrees in Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution, Political Science, Criminology, and Security Studies. The Controller of Corrections, FCT Command, Christopher Jen, congratulated the graduates, encouraging them to leverage their certificates to improve their lives and continue pursuing education.

Representing the Vice-Chancellor of NOUN, the Director of the NOUN Special Study Centre, Dr. Francis Enobore, praised the 13-year partnership with NCoS and described the programme as a pathway of hope. He stressed that NOUN’s open and distance learning model provides educational opportunities to marginalized groups and vowed to expand similar initiatives to other custodial centres.

Speaking on behalf of the graduates, Abba Kyari expressed gratitude for the chance to learn while in custody, noting that the experience restored their sense of purpose and equipped them with knowledge to positively impact society. The event also featured counselling sessions on re-entry, skill development, and community reintegration, with the graduates pledging to contribute meaningfully upon release.