FG Calls for Tech-Driven Prison Reforms at UNODC Conference

The Federal Government has called for the adoption of technology and data-driven strategies to reform correctional services, saying modern prison administration is critical to strengthening security and improving justice delivery across Africa.

The call was made by the Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, at the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Regional Conference on Prisoner Classification and the Use of Technology in Prison Settings in Africa, where he also advocated stronger regional collaboration to combat transnational crime.

The conference brought together correctional administrators, policymakers and development partners to discuss the role of technology in improving prison management and advancing correctional reforms across the continent.

Addressing participants, Tunji-Ojo said correctional systems must evolve to meet present-day realities, stressing that technology had become indispensable to building secure, efficient and humane correctional facilities.

“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.

The minister commended the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the African Correctional Services Association (ACSA), the United States Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) and other partners for convening the conference, describing it as a platform for promoting common standards in correctional administration across Africa.

He urged policymakers and prison administrators to prioritise a proper understanding of existing challenges before implementing reforms.

“We spend too much time prescribing solutions to problems we do not fully understand. If we devote adequate time to understanding the problem, the solution becomes much easier to implement,” he said.

Tunji-Ojo said Nigeria’s recent reforms had demonstrated the value of technology in correctional administration, disclosing that the country had recorded no successful prison attacks or jailbreaks since the current administration assumed office.

He attributed the achievement to investments in digital transformation, improved data management and stronger collaboration among security agencies.

According to him, the digitisation of inmate records, including biometric information and photographs, has enhanced the ability of authorities to track offenders and respond quickly to security threats.

“This is the power of technology. But 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 said.

The minister also called for closer cooperation among African countries, urging governments to integrate correctional services into their broader national security architecture and strengthen information sharing across borders.

“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.

Beyond security, Tunji-Ojo advocated a shift towards rehabilitation, saying correctional centres should focus on restoring lives rather than merely confining offenders.

“A correctional centre should be a place of transformation, rehabilitation, restoration and hope—not simply a place of confinement,” he said.

He also urged African governments to strengthen legal frameworks for borstal institutions and juvenile justice, stressing that young offenders should be separated from hardened criminals to improve their chances of rehabilitation.

The minister disclosed that Nigeria had expanded educational and vocational opportunities for inmates, with thousands participating in formal education, postgraduate studies and skills acquisition programmes.

According to him, the initiatives have helped reduce recidivism while transforming correctional centres into institutions that equip inmates for productive reintegration 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.

Declaring the conference open, Tunji-Ojo urged African countries to embrace technology as a key driver of correctional reforms and stronger internal security across the continent.