Empowering Inmates Through Skills Training to Curb Unemployment in Nigeria
By: Aboyowa Akaruese
Unemployment among former prisoners is a pressing issue in Nigeria today. This has resulted in an unending cycle of crime and the stalling of societal reintegration efforts. Many ex-inmates face widespread societal prejudice and limited access to economic opportunities, hereby leaving them vulnerable and prone to re-offending.
To disrupt this cycle, it is essential to equip prisoners with practical and marketable skills during their incarceration. This is to ensure that they are prepared for a productive life upon release.
Globally, vocational training programs within correctional facilities have demonstrated success in lowering recidivism rates by providing inmates with the tools they need to secure employment in the corporate world or start businesses of their own.
In Nigeria today, the continuous rise in unemployment and the increasingly competitive job market, has made this initiative imperative.
The importance of this initiative goes far beyond granting freedom, it’s also a means by which society offers former inmates the means to rebuild their lives.
Training programs in trades such as carpentry, tailoring, farming, technology, and business management can empower prisoners with self-sustaining skills. These programs foster confidence, independence, and a renewed sense of purpose. However, training alone is not enough. Partnerships between the government and private sector are critical to create job opportunities and support entrepreneurial ventures for ex-offenders.
Nigeria’s correctional system should prioritize rehabilitation and reintegration over retribution. By integrating skill-building initiatives into prisons, the nation can reduce crime, enhance public safety, and enable former inmates to make meaningful contributions to their communities. Breaking the cycle of crime begins with providing opportunities, and these opportunities must start behind the prison gates.
**Aboyowa Akaruese is a renowned data analyst and research enthusiast, she has wrote several academic journals on Recidivism, focusing on diverse issues, ranging from release mechanisms, demographic factors, specificity of crimes among others.
Aboyowa holds a masters degree from Southern New Hampshire in the United States of America.
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