By Becky Momodu
The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to transforming correctional services through technology, institutional reforms, data-driven decision-making, and stronger regional collaboration to improve security and rehabilitation across Africa.
Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, stated this on Wednesday while declaring open the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Regional Conference on Prisoner Classification and the Use of Technology in Prison Settings in Africa.
He said correctional systems across the continent must evolve to meet the realities of the 21st century, stressing that technology has become indispensable for building secure, efficient and humane prison systems.
“The approach to correctional service management in the 19th century cannot be the same as the 21st century. Technology is no longer optional—it is essential to building secure, efficient and humane correctional systems,” the minister said.
Tunji-Ojo commended the UNODC, the African Correctional Services Association (ACSA), the United States Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), and other partners for convening the conference, describing it as a vital platform for promoting common correctional standards across Africa.
He urged correctional leaders to devote more attention to understanding challenges before prescribing solutions, noting that effective reforms begin with proper problem identification.
“We spend too much time prescribing solutions to problems we do not fully understand. If we devote adequate time to understanding the problem, the solution becomes much easier to implement,” he said.
The minister challenged correctional administrators to focus on identifying problems, developing appropriate solutions and establishing clear implementation timelines.
Highlighting Nigeria’s reforms, Tunji-Ojo disclosed that the country has recorded no successful prison attacks or jailbreaks since the current administration assumed office, attributing the achievement to digital transformation, improved inmate data management and enhanced collaboration among security agencies.
According to him, the digitisation of inmate records, including biometric data and photographs, has significantly strengthened the country’s capacity to respond to security threats and monitor offenders.
“This is the power of technology. But technology alone is not enough. It will never replace human beings. Technology is only a catalyst that improves efficiency. Investment in technology must go hand in hand with investment in human capacity,” he added.
The minister called on African countries to integrate correctional services into their national security architecture and deepen intelligence sharing across borders to prevent criminals from exploiting weak coordination among countries.
“I look forward to an Africa where a criminal fleeing one country cannot simply find refuge in another because our systems are connected and our institutions collaborate,” he said.
Tunji-Ojo also advocated a shift from punitive incarceration to rehabilitation, saying correctional centres should serve as places of transformation, restoration and hope.
He further urged governments across the continent to strengthen legal frameworks governing borstal institutions and juvenile justice, stressing that young offenders should not be housed alongside hardened criminals.
The minister revealed that Nigeria has expanded educational and vocational opportunities for inmates, with thousands participating in formal education, postgraduate studies, vocational training and skills acquisition programmes.
He said the rehabilitation initiatives have contributed to a significant reduction in recidivism while turning correctional facilities into centres of productivity and personal transformation.
“There is nothing wrong in Africa that cannot be put right by Africans. Let us become agents of transformation and work together to build correctional systems that strengthen justice, improve security and restore hope,” Tunji-Ojo said.