The Federal Government has called for technology-driven reforms in correctional services across Africa, urging countries on the continent to strengthen regional cooperation, embrace digital innovation and adopt rehabilitation-focused prison systems to improve security and justice administration.
The Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, made the call while declaring open the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Regional Conference on Prisoner Classification and the Use of Technology in Prison Settings in Africa.
Speaking at the conference, the minister said modern correctional systems must evolve to address contemporary security challenges, stressing that technology has become indispensable in building secure, efficient and humane correctional institutions.
“The approach to correctional service management in the 19th century cannot be the same as the 21st century. Technology is no longer optional—it is essential to building secure, efficient and humane correctional systems,” he said.
Tunji-Ojo commended the UNODC, the African Correctional Services Association (ACSA), the United States Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), and other development partners for convening the conference, describing it as an important platform for harmonising correctional standards across Africa.
He urged correctional administrators to focus on identifying problems before prescribing solutions, noting that effective reforms require a clear understanding of existing challenges.
According to him, leaders must address three key questions in driving sustainable reforms: identifying the problem, determining the appropriate solution and setting a realistic timeline for implementation.
Highlighting Nigeria’s recent achievements, the minister disclosed that the country has recorded no successful prison attacks or jailbreaks since the current administration assumed office, attributing the feat to investments in digital transformation, improved inmate data management and stronger collaboration among security agencies.
He explained that the digitisation of inmate records, including biometric data and photographs, has enhanced intelligence gathering and enabled quicker responses to security threats.
While emphasising the importance of technology, Tunji-Ojo maintained that digital tools should complement, not replace, human capacity.
“Technology alone is not enough. It will never replace human beings. Technology is only a catalyst that improves efficiency. Investment in technology must go hand in hand with investment in human capacity,” he stated.
The minister also called on African governments to integrate correctional services into broader national security strategies and strengthen intelligence and information sharing across borders to prevent criminals from exploiting weak institutional linkages.
“I look forward to an Africa where a criminal fleeing one country cannot simply find refuge in another because our systems are connected and our institutions collaborate,” he said.
On prison reforms, Tunji-Ojo advocated a shift from punitive incarceration to rehabilitation, describing correctional centres as institutions that should promote transformation, restoration and hope.
He further urged governments to strengthen legal frameworks governing borstal institutions and juvenile justice, warning against housing young offenders with hardened criminals.
The minister revealed that Nigeria has expanded educational and vocational opportunities for inmates, with thousands currently enrolled in formal education, postgraduate studies, vocational training and skills acquisition programmes. He noted that the initiatives have contributed significantly to reducing recidivism while making correctional centres more productive.
Declaring the conference open, Tunji-Ojo urged African nations to embrace technology and deepen collaboration in building correctional systems that enhance justice delivery, strengthen internal security and promote the successful reintegration of offenders into society.
“There is nothing wrong in Africa that cannot be put right by Africans. Let us become agents of transformation and work together to build correctional systems that strengthen justice, improve security, and restore hope,” he said.
