Foundation Calls For Innovation In Nigeria’s Correctional System

Shamies Unusual Heart Foundation (SUHF) has called for fresh innovation and collaboration in Nigeria’s correctional system as it announces the 5th edition of its Annual Seminar Series.

The seminar, according to the organisers, is scheduled for this Thursday, November 27, 2025 at the Bukhari Bello Auditorium, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Abuja.

Themed “Restoring Dignity and Reducing Recidivism: Education, Partnerships, and Innovation in Nigeria’s Correctional System,” this year’s seminar will convene a high-level gathering of policymakers, security agencies, justice sector actors, development partners, academics, civil society organisations, and key practitioners across the correctional value chain.

Speaking ahead of the event, the executive director and founder of SUHF, Amb. Dr. Saratu Abdullahi, emphasised the urgent need for innovative, humane, and coordinated solutions to transform Nigeria’s correctional system.

“Our mission has always been to restore dignity, give hope, and create sustainable pathways for inmates and ex-inmates to become productive members of society.

“Education, mental health support, skills training, and institutional collaboration are essential tools for reducing recidivism. This seminar is not just another event, but a call to action, an opportunity to unite stakeholders and reaffirm our commitment to building a correctional system centred on humanity and second chances.”

According to her, since 2019, the Foundation has supported more than 10,000 inmates and ex-inmates through rehabilitation outreaches, skills acquisition programmes, legal support, and the establishment of NABTEB Examination Centres in the Kuje and Suleja Custodial Facilities.

Also speaking on the significance of the 2025 edition, SUHF’s executive director (Admin and Strategy), Mr Ebenezer Akarah, stressed the need for a collective approach to correctional reform.

“Government, civil society, development partners, academia, and the private sector must work together to build an ecosystem where rehabilitation is possible and reintegration is supported,” he said.

He added that all hands must be on deck to build a safer Nigeria, especially at a time when the country continues to grapple with a myriad of security challenges.

This year’s seminar will feature technical presentations by sector experts, a high-level panel discussion involving government agencies, NGOs, academia, and international missions, as well as goodwill messages from ministries, national institutions, and diplomatic missions.

The 2025 edition seeks to deepen national dialogue and strengthen multi-stakeholder collaboration towards closing systemic gaps affecting inmate rehabilitation, education, reintegration, and the protection of human rights.