A National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member, Lazarus Nsimiro, has appealed to the Bayelsa State Government, the Ministry of Interior, and the Federal Government to deepen investment in prison-rehabilitation initiatives, particularly those targeting literacy and mental development among inmates.
Nsimiro, who serves with the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), made the call on Friday while donating food items, recycled clothing, toiletries, disinfectants, detergents, drugs and other basic supplies to inmates of the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Okaka, Yenagoa, through his Lazarus Nsimiro Foundation.
He said his initiative, Project Beyond the Walls, was designed to give hope to inmates who often feel forgotten by society.
“When I was a student in the Department of Political Science at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, I had my first real exposure to the prison environment,” he said. “It opened my eyes to the fact that there are people here who need to know that they are not abandoned. Project Beyond the Walls is meant to help them understand that even within these walls, they can dream and achieve.”
Nsimiro explained that the donation marks the first phase of a two-stage project, which ultimately aims to establish a literacy and chess centre at the Okaka facility—an initiative he hopes to expand to correctional centres across the country, inspired in part by Brazil’s 2012 rehabilitation model.
Describing Nigeria’s correctional system as “under-funded,” he noted that inmates remain “the weakest links in our social-security chain,” adding that neglect of the sector contributes to insecurity. He referenced more than 17 jailbreaks recorded nationwide in the past decade, including four this year.
“My appeal is not only to Bayelsa State but also to the Ministry of Interior and the Federal Government: look at ways to incorporate this whole initiative. If we do not help them, they may resort to helping themselves, and that becomes a social-security concern,” he said.
He emphasised that literacy programmes and mentally stimulating activities like chess can play a crucial role in inmate rehabilitation. “My foundation is ready with ideas and structures. All we need is funding.”
The Bayelsa NYSC Coordinator, Mrs. Obiageli Okpelifo, represented by the Head of CDS, Mrs. Kossy Ifekudu, commended Nsimiro for embarking on a project that would leave a lasting impact on the community, especially inmates. She encouraged other corps members to emulate his commitment to service.
Also speaking, Chief Superintendent of Corrections Mohammed Mustafa, who represented the Officer-in-Charge of the Okaka Centre, ACC Ogundare Rasheed, thanked Nsimiro for giving hope to the inmates. He assured that all donated items would be properly utilised within the facility.
