By SCM Staff Writer I Saturday, Nov.01, 2025
PORT HARCOURT, NIGERIA — The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has committed to deepening its partnership with the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS) by offering training and skills acquisition programs for inmates across the region.
The assurance came from the NDDC’s Managing Director, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, during a courtesy visit by the Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Correctional Service, Mr. Sylvester Nwakuche, to the NDDC headquarters in Port Harcourt.
Dr. Ogbuku emphasized the Commission’s existing, long-standing collaboration with the correctional service, noting that the NCS had already been integrated into flagship NDDC initiatives, including Operation Light Up the Niger Delta and the Free Medical Services scheme. He highlighted the impact of the illumination project, stating, “We are glad that since then, we have not heard of any jailbreaks in this region,” suggesting that better lighting discourages criminality.
The NDDC Chief Executive stated that the Commission intends to incorporate prison inmates into its youth training programmes, citing the inmates’ fundamental human rights as a key consideration.
“The NDDC will partner with the Correctional Service to see areas it can intervene, such as the youth internship scheme, training programmes,” he said. The training will be selected from the Commission’s existing database, tailoring skills development to areas of inmate competence to ensure sustainability.
In a significant move toward justice reform, Dr. Ogbuku also indicated the NDDC’s readiness to assist in decongesting correctional facilities. Responding to a request from the Comptroller-General, he stated, “We are prepared to intervene to ensure that such inmates, who are also members of society, are supported in regaining their freedom,” by reviewing the possibility of paying fines for those held due to their inability to cover minimal court-imposed penalties, pending a review of existing laws.
The Managing Director, however, did not shy away from calling for internal reform within the NCS, urging the hierarchy to weed out officers who conspire with inmates to smuggle drugs into custodial centres.
Comptroller-General Nwakuche lauded Dr. Ogbuku and his team for their accomplishments, acknowledging the NDDC’s “impactful projects” and provision of amenities in “almost all the correctional centres in the Niger Delta region.”
He appealed for further collaboration in diverse areas, including agriculture and health.
The renewed commitment signals a comprehensive approach by the NDDC to inmate rehabilitation, focusing not just on infrastructure and health but also on skills development and a pathway back to society for non-violent offenders.
