The Nigerian Correctional Service, FCT Command, has presented Trade Test Certificates to 243 inmates of the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Kuje, Abuja, following their successful training and assessment in 11 vocational skills.
The certification is part of the Service’s efforts to rehabilitate inmates, promote self-reliance and prepare them for successful reintegration into society after release.
The certified trades include carpentry and joinery, tailoring and dressmaking, laundry and dry cleaning, poultry, leatherwork, fisheries, soap, cream and candle making, weaving and textile, hairdressing and body care, bricklaying and masonry, as well as solar installation.
The ceremony also featured an exhibition of products made by inmates from the three custodial centres under the FCT Command, demonstrating the practical skills acquired through the training programmes.
Speaking at the event, the Controller of Corrections, FCT Command, Christopher Peter Jen, congratulated the beneficiaries and said the Command’s reformatory programmes provide inmates with education, vocational training and other support needed for rehabilitation and reintegration.
Representing the Controller-General of Corrections, Sylvester Ndidi Nwakuche, the Deputy Controller-General in charge of Inmates’ Training and Productivity, Nicolas Obiako, described the event as a celebration of transformation, hope, dignity and second chances.
Obiako stressed that vocational training could provide inmates with opportunities for legitimate employment, entrepreneurship and self-reliance after release. He added that effective rehabilitation should also include education, counselling and psychosocial support.
The Director of Skills Development and Certification at the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Engr. Tiza Chila Shaakaa, said the Trade Test Certificate of Competence is an internationally recognised qualification that assesses proficiency in technical and vocational trades. He noted that 65 trades have been approved for trade testing certification in Nigeria.
Representatives of the National Directorate of Employment and traditional institutions also commended the initiative and pledged continued support for programmes aimed at equipping inmates with sustainable livelihoods.
The ceremony featured the presentation of Awards of Appreciation and Recommendation to the Controller-General of Corrections, the FCT Controller of Corrections and the National Open University of Nigeria Desk Officer, DSC Adikwu Owoicho.
The awards were presented by Chinedu Eze, an ex-inmate and the first graduate of NOUN from Kuje Custodial Centre, in recognition of their contributions to inmates’ education and rehabilitation.
Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, the graduands expressed appreciation to the Correctional Service and its partners, saying the skills acquired had improved their productive capacity and given them hope for a better life after incarceration.
The Controller-General further called for sustained support for certified inmates through access to tools, employment, mentorship and entrepreneurship opportunities, stressing that certification should serve as a pathway to economic reintegration.
He urged the beneficiaries to embrace their second chance with discipline, determination and a commitment to becoming productive and responsible members of society.