Nigerian Correctional Service has registered over 10,000 inmates for the

West African Senior School Certificate Examination and the National

Examinations Council exams over the past five years.

The NCoS spokesperson, Umar Abubakar, who disclosed this said, more than

2,000 inmates are enrolled annually for these exams across correctional

facilities nationwide, which reflected the growing success and acceptance of

the Nigerian Correctional Service educational programmes, adding that the

number of enrolled inmates increases each year, showing a greater

commitment to education among the inmates.

He also commended the special National Open University of Nigeria centres

in correctional facilities, which allow inmates to pursue undergraduate and

postgraduate degrees, adding that, the Nigerian Correctional Service faces

significant challenges in delivering educational services to inmates.

He said, there is no dedicated budget for registering inmates for external

exams, leaving the service to rely on donations from philanthropists and

organisations to provide educational materials and cover registration fees

and called on NECO, WAEC, and the Joint Admissions and Matriculation

Board to offer exam waivers for inmates, as NOUN had done, to facilitate

their rehabilitation and resettlement.

Umar also touched on the psychological challenges faced by inmates, which

often hinder their ability to focus on academic activities, stressing that many

inmates struggle with the emotional and psychological burden of their crimes

and the conditions of incarceration, making academic engagement difficult.