The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to uphold the rights and dignity of all persons in held behind bars.
The commitment was made on Thursday, 17 July, 2025, in Abuja by the Minister of Interior, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo during the Commemoration of Nelson Mandela International Day 2025 and the presentation of the audit report of six custodial centres across the North-East.
The Minister, who was represented at the event sponsored by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in collaboration with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) by the Director, Joint Services, Federal Ministry of Interior, Nasiru Usman, said holding discussion on prison reforms on Nelson Mandela Day is profoundly symbolic as late South African President’s legacy reminds us that justice, dignity, and humanity must remain central to how we treat even those behind bars.
He said: “Let me reaffirm the Federal Government’s commitment to upholding the rights and dignity of all persons in custody, in line with the Nigerian Constitution and our international obligations. The Nelson Mandela Rules which is the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners remains a central reference point for our correctional policies and reforms.”
He noted: “Today’s presentation of the prison audit report marks a critical milestone. Evidence-based assessments such as this are essential for shaping effective and humane correctional reforms. The audit of six custodial centres across the North-East provides a clear picture of the current realities within our facilities and will serve as a vital tool in informing policy, guiding resource allocation, and strengthening future collaborations.
He said: “We commend UNODC’s broader interventions in our correctional system, including the training of correctional officers and support for non-custodial measures and legal aid. These efforts contribute meaningfully to the professionalization and humanization of our correctional system.
“Particularly commendable is the initiative to establish inmate product display shops in select custodial centres. This innovative project aligns with our goal of equipping inmates with vocational skills, fostering economic empowerment, and changing public perceptions of incarcerated individuals. It is a vital step forward in enabling successful reintegration.”
He said: “As we move forward, I urge sustained multi-sectoral collaboration. Correctional reform cannot be achieved by government alone. It requires coordinated action across civil society, the private sector, and legal institutions. We must invest more in rehabilitation programmes, community-based alternatives to incarceration, and reintegration support.
“The Ministry remains fully committed to enhancing custodial conditions, promoting data-driven decision-making, digitizing inmate records, and ensuring proper classification and case management, especially for vulnerable groups such as women, juveniles, and persons with mental health challenges.”
The Minister called on all stakeholders present to continue working together to transform our correctional system into one that reflects the values of justice and humanity, streaking that: “Let us treat every inmate not as a burden or statistic, but as a human being capable of reform and reintegration.
“Let this Mandela Day renew our collective resolve to build a correctional system that protects society, respects human rights, and gives every individual a chance at redemption.”
In her welcome address, United Nations Resident/Humanitarian Coordinator and Designated Official a.i, Ms. Elsie Attafuah said: “We stand here today, united on Nelson Mandela International Day, a day that ignites our shared vow to justice, dignity, and human rights, especially in the shadows of prisons. At its core shines the Nelson Mandela Rules, forged in 2015 as the renewed United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners. These aren’t mere words: they forge a bold, rights-driven blueprint for corrections everywhere, rooting every moment of imprisonment in respect, responsibility, renewal, and return to society. Demanding openness, unbiased watchdogs, and safeguards for the fragile, the Mandela Rules echo the United Nations Common Position on Incarceration: liberty’s loss must forever be our absolute last choice.”
She noted that at the core of the audit are identifying areas for immediate improvement in custodial conditions and recommending actionable steps to protect inmate welfare; Generating data to inform targeted justice sector reforms, including profiling pretrial detainees and mapping gaps in legal representation, and ensuring systematic alignment of Nigerian correctional practices with the Mandela Rules to drive progressive compliance with global human rights standards.”
She disclosed that the findings of the audit which will be discussed today presents clear evidence of both progress and remaining challenges. As of July 2025, Nigeria’s custodial centres hold 81,686 inmates, with 66 percent (53,713 inmates) still awaiting trial. This figure reflects a meaningful decline from 70 percent in July 2024, underscoring the impact of enhanced legal aid, the expanded use of non-custodial options, and improvements in case management.
She however added that: “As we dive into these truths, remember: rebuilding lives and weaving them back into society isn’t just the warden’s burden, it’s our collective call to rally businesses, schools, and neighborhoods. Together, we carve jobs and futures, arming the released with tools to reinsert himself to society as a law abiding citizen. Let’s weave a web of welcome that shatters prison walls, nurturing forgiveness for those chasing second chances.”
