As part of efforts aimed at providing qualitative education to Nigerians, the Centre for Legal Support and Inmate Rehabilitation (CELSIR), in partnership with VCare for Development Foundation (VCDF), is expanding its Education for Correctional Centres programme to nine correctional centres across the country. No fewer than 500 learners are also set to receive support for registration and preparation for the General Certificate Examination (GCE).

Executive Director, CELSIR Joke Aladesanmi, said the expansion represents a significant step in the organisation’s efforts to make quality education accessible to learners in correctional centres.

The programme will extend beyond Lagos correctional centres where CELSIR has traditionally provided education support, reaching five additional correctional centres, three adult and two juvenile centres.

Specifically, she noted, ‘the expansion reflects a shared commitment by CELSIR and VCDF to making education a stronger part of rehabilitation and reintegration. CELSIR believes that access to education should not be determined by a person’s circumstances. By expanding the programme, the organisation and its partners are creating more opportunities for learners to acquire qualifications, develop their potential and build pathways for life beyond incarceration.

“The partnership marks a transition from sustaining impact to scaling impact, with education positioned at the core of CELSIR’s vision for rehabilitation and reintegration,’’ she stated.

Beyond this, Aladesanmi disclosed that the expansion of 500 learners across the nation’s correctional centers would be supported with GCE registration, creating opportunities for them to obtain recognised qualifications for a better reintegration.

She added, ‘leveraging technology to deliver quality educational, each center is presented with a laptop, a projector, a speaker and an internet modem, to facilitate virtual classrooms and improved access to digital learning.’

Among those present were Olaore FeyiSayo, Director, Integrated Community Services (ICS), Ministry of Youth and Social Development (MYSD), and the Deputy Controller of Corrections in charge of Custodial and Non-Custodial Services, Nigeria Correctional Service, Kokogho, representing the Assistant Controller-General (ACG).

Over the years, the organisation’s Education for Correctional Centres programme has impacted more than 1,300 persons, while supporting learners with National examinations like the General Certificate Examination (GCE) , Joint Admission Matriculation Board (JAMB) and the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).