LAGOS GOVT PARTNERS CELSIR TO LAUNCH JUVENILE EDUCATION PROGRAMME
In a bid to ensure that the inmates in the State Correctional Centres are not deprived of quality education, the Lagos State Ministry of Youth and Social Development has collaborated with the Centre for Legal Support and Inmates Rehabilitation (CELSIR) to launch the Junior Education Programme (JEP).
Speaking at the event held today at the Special Correctional Centre for Boys, Oregun, Lagos, Permanent Secretary, Pharm. (Mrs.) Toyin Oke-Osanyintolu, represented by the Director, Social Welfare Department, Mrs. Toyin Jaiyeola, said, “This initiative marks a significant milestone in our efforts to rehabilitate and empower the young minds within our correctional facility. It aligns perfectly with Mr Governor’s THEMES Plus Agenda of ensuring that no one is left behind.”
-Osanyintolu called on other public-spirited individuals and organisations to join the State Government in giving succour to young people, adding that the Ministry will equip them with resources necessary to foster academic and personal development.
On her part, the Executive Director, CELSIR, Ms. Joke Aladesanmi disclosed that the socioeconomic demographics of incarcerated individuals in Nigerian Correctional Centres predominantly consist of the young, poorly uneducated and politically and economically disadvantaged groups which propelled her organisation towards empowerment through education, prison library projects, vocational and life skills training.
Her words, “The launch of the Juvenile Education Programme (JEP) represents a pivotal moment in our collective journey towards reforming the juvenile justice system in Nigeria. This initiative marks a critical step forward in our mission to provide sustainable, comprehensive and quality education to young individuals in correctional facilities in Nigeria.”
According to Aladesanmi, the Juvenile Education Programme being introduced in Oregun Correctional Centre for Boys to cover Junior Secondary Schools I to III will offer virtual classrooms led by experienced educators with a curriculum tailored to the specific needs of juveniles in terms of personal development and empowerment and also to help them grow socially and emotionally.
In their remarks, Hon Justice Sherifat Solebo (Rtd), Guest Speaker, stressed the need for the Government to uphold the fundamental human rights of young people in every circumstance, while the Executive Secretary, SUBEB, Mr. Hakeem Babatunde Shittu, represented by the Director, Counseling and Guidance Unit, Mrs. Bunmi Elizabeth Elabor, assured CELSIR of continuous Government support.