Tunji-Ojo highlights importance of prisoner classification, use of technology to achieve truly transformative correctional centers

Tunji-Ojo highlights importance of prisoner classification, use of technology to achieve truly transformative correctional centers

Hon. Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo writes:

In the heart of Abuja, leaders from across Africa gathered with a shared sense of purpose and determination at the opening of the Regional Conference on Prisoner Classification and the Use of Technology in Prison Settings in Africa. I joined this important gathering today at the Transcorp Hilton, where the energy was clearly evident.

This three-day gathering, brings together heads of Correctional Services from across our continent, alongside valued partners from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the United States Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL). It reflects our shared determination to build stronger, more effective, and more humane correctional systems.

In my keynote address, I made it clear that effective prisoner classification is not merely an administrative exercise, but the very foundation of humane, secure, and truly rehabilitative prison management. We must harness the power of technology to strengthen security, significantly reduce recidivism, and transform our correctional facilities into genuine centres of reformation where lives can be positively changed.

Under the Renewed Hope Agenda of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, the Federal Government remains fully committed to modernising our justice and correctional sector.

This conference represents a bold step forward; not just for Nigeria, but for the entire African continent. It will enhance practical strategies and a strong regional framework that will help us address overcrowding, improve rehabilitation outcomes, and uphold the dignity of both inmates and officers.

As government, Nigeria is proud to host this important continental conversation that will shape a future where correctional services contribute meaningfully to national security, public safety, and sustainable development.