In spite of being confined in a prison, two inmates of the Kirikiri Prison in Lagos whose names are Oladipupo Moshood and Tunwashe Kabiru has enrolled for their doctorate degrees in Peace and Conflict Resolution and Business Administration respectively, at the National Open University (NOUN).
The two Kirikiri Prison inmates were among the three inmates who were being awarded a masters degrees by NOUN Vice Chancellor, Prof. Abdalla Adamu, the Nigerian Prisons Service had empowered many inmates with education from secondary to masters degree level as part of efforts to in order to reform the prisoners.
Speaking on the recent enrollment of the inmates that was organized at NOUN for their doctorate degrees. Ja’afaru Ahmed urged other inmates to make use of the opportunity provided the Comptroller General, Nigeria Prisons Service (NPS), enjoined other inmates to make use of the chance that has been provided by NOUN to further their education.
“We have collaborated with Ministry of Labour to give inmates Trade Test Grades one, two and three and for those who want to further their education; we create an enabling environment for them. For those furthering their education, some have done WAEC while some have proceeded to university for degrees. No fewer than 420 inmates are currently studying in NOUN and 10 are in 400 level,” Ahmed said.
On the other hand, Prof. Adamu, the Vice-Chancellor of NOUN, who presented the inmates with their degrees, has also enjoined other inmates so that they can take advantage of the institution’s free education to prisoners from first degree to doctorate levels. Adamu said that most of the inmates chose entrepreneurial courses to enable them to become independent after serving their jail terms. He appealed to the NPS to provide an enabling environment for NOUN to provide necessary equipment for inmates at its study centres in prisons.
“We focus our attention on making prisoner scholars; all the courses taken by inmates are free, from first degree to PhD level. “Hope should never be lost even when you are a prisoner, it is when you are educated that you will get your absolute freedom,” Adamu said.
