The Federal Government has called for stronger collaboration with private sector players and development partners to transform correctional centres into hubs of modern agriculture and skills development, as part of efforts to boost food production and reduce reoffending.

Speaking at a stakeholders’ dialogue on optimising correctional farm centres and public-private partnerships (PPP) in Abuja, the Minister of Interior said Nigeria’s correctional facilities must move beyond mere incarceration to become centres of rehabilitation, productivity and economic reintegration.

The Minister who was represented by the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry, Mrs Magdalene Ajani emphasised that government alone cannot unlock the full potential of correctional institutions, stressing that partnerships with private investors, civil society organisations and development agencies are critical to driving innovation and scaling reforms.

He said, “Our correctional farm centres can and should be transformed into highly productive agricultural hubs. This is not just about feeding our facilities, but about cultivating a new generation of skilled agric-entrepreneurs who can contribute to national food security.”

According to him, adopting modern farming techniques, agro-processing and full agricultural value chain participation within correctional centres would equip inmates with practical and marketable skills.

He added that structured PPP arrangements would combine government oversight with private sector innovation and capital, creating shared value while advancing national development goals, particularly in food security and job creation.

The Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Correctional Service, Sylvester Ndidi Nwakuche, said the service is already making progress in repositioning correctional centres as institutions of reform and reintegration.

He disclosed that the Service currently operates 18 farm centres and 10 cottage industries on about 10,000 hectares of land nationwide, alongside multiple agricultural projects including piggery, fishery and poultry.

“These facilities produce crops such as maize, rice, cassava, yam and soya beans, while also serving as platforms for vocational training and skills acquisition,” he said.

Nwakuche noted that partnerships with the private sector would help improve efficiency, introduce modern agricultural practices and expand correctional industries, while ensuring inmates acquire employable skills aligned with market demands.

In her remarks, the Executive Director of Hope Behind Bars Africa, Funke Adeoye, said the organisation’s “Farming Justice Project” is already demonstrating the potential of correctional agriculture to address food insecurity and recidivism.

She said the initiative, supported by the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (RoLAC) programme, is currently being implemented in custodial centres in Abuja, Lagos and Edo states, where inmates are engaged in structured agricultural production and behavioural training.

Adeoye disclosed that hundreds of inmates have been trained in crop cultivation, fish farming and financial literacy, with produce from some centres already being sold to surrounding communities.

“Beyond increasing food supply within custodial centres, this project is equipping inmates with practical skills and creating pathways for entrepreneurship and reintegration,” she said.

Stakeholders agreed that scaling such initiatives through well-structured PPP models could transform correctional facilities into engines of productivity, while strengthening national food security, economic inclusion and public safety.

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