FG Drives Collaborative Efforts on Inmate Reintegration, Social Protection

* Says social register currently captures over 19.7 million households

Kuni Tyessi in Abuja

The Federal Government has reiterated its commitment to strengthening collaboration with the Nigerian Correctional Service to ensure inclusive social protection, effective rehabilitation and sustainable reintegration of inmates into the society.

It has also revealed that the National Social Register as a critical tool for identifying and reaching vulnerable populations, currently captures over 19.7 million households across the country through a rigorous, community-driven and geo-referenced data collection process. 

Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr. Bernard Doro, made this known while receiving the Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Correctional Service, Mr. Sylvester Ndidi Nwakuche, during a courtesy visit to the ministry in Abuja.

In a statement by the Director of Information and Public Relations, Janet MCDickson, Doro described the visit as both timely and significant, noting that it serves as a critical reminder of the need to pay closer attention to a segment of vulnerable Nigerians that is often overlooked. 

The statement noted that the minister  emphasized that caring for the vulnerable is a shared national responsibility that must be pursued without discrimination, regardless of location or circumstance.

“He commended the leadership of the Nigerian Correctional Service for their demonstrated commitment to the welfare, rehabilitation and reintegration of inmates, noting that their efforts reflect genuine concern and a strong sense of duty towards those in their care,” it said.

The minister further stated that the ministry is currently undertaking key reforms aimed at ensuring that social intervention programmes are better targeted, more transparent and impactful. 

“He acknowledged that one of the major challenges in the past has been the ability to reach the intended beneficiaries effectively, stressing that collaboration with institutions such as the Nigerian Correctional Service provides a practical pathway to translating these reforms into measurable outcomes.

“The importance of the National Social Register as a critical tool for identifying and reaching vulnerable populations, noting that it currently captures over 19.7 million households across the country through a rigorous, community-driven and geo-referenced data collection process,” the minister said.

He pointed out that integrating data from correctional facilities into the register would enhance inclusivity, strengthen accountability, and ensure that inmates and ex-inmates are not excluded from government interventions.

Speaking further, the minister outlined the ministry’s poverty graduation framework, which is designed to move beneficiaries beyond temporary relief towards sustainable economic independence. 

He explained that the framework goes beyond skills acquisition to include access to productive assets, business mentorship, financial inclusion, and continuous monitoring and evaluation to ensure long-term success.

According to him, “Past interventions have shown that skills alone are insufficient without the necessary support systems, often resulting in beneficiaries relapsing into poverty. He stressed that the ministry’s current approach is to ensure that beneficiaries are fully equipped to succeed and are systematically tracked until they achieve economic stability and exit poverty.”

Earlier in his remarks, the Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Correctional Service, Nwakuche, expressed appreciation for the ministry’s openness to collaboration and emphasized the importance of strengthening institutional partnerships to improve rehabilitation programmes and post-release support systems for inmates.