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The National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) has awarded Masters of Science (MSc) and a Bachelor Degree to three inmates of the Kirikiri maximum prison in Lagos.
At the presentation of certificates to the inmates by the NOUN Vice Chancellor, Prof. Abdalla Adamu in Lagos, Oladipupo Moshood bagged Msc in Peace and Conflict Resolution, while Tunwashe Kabir bagged Msc in Business Administration. Alegbe Afolabi on the other hand bagged a BSc in Peace and Conflict Resolution studies.
Oladipupo and Tunwashe were also said to have applied for their PhD programmes.
The Controller-General of Nigerian Prisons Service (NPS), Jafa’ar Ahmed who applauded the studies initiative by NOUN revealed that a total of 420 inmates across Nigerian prisons are currently running programmes in NOUN centres. He said the NPS will work with the NOUN to expand more educational centres across the country.
"We will work with you to expand NOUN study centres across some of our prison facilities. Currently, the law does not allow us to permit awaiting trial inmates to participate in either skill acquisition or educational programmes but we are proposing a bill that we hope will help in accommodating awaiting trials in some of these programmes in future," Ahmed said.
Similarly, the NOUN’s Vice Chancellor said upon assumption of office, he cancelled half-payment of tuition by inmates and has now ensured that their programmes are run tuition free. He also said the University is ready to assist in providing needed academic materials to equip NOUN study centres in prisons across the country.
"We are not really interested on what brought people to prison. What we are after is how we can make education accessible to them. Hope must not be lost because one is behind bars. We have made the education of the inmates tuition free and we hope to do more to make them achieve their life objectives," Prof. Adamu said.