By: Tijjani Sarki
Good Governance Advocate and Public Policy Analyst
Writing from Zawaciki, Kano
22nd September, 2025
In an era where punitive justice often overshadows the principles of rehabilitation and reintegration, the recent news that 68 inmates in Kano State successfully passed the 2025 NECO examinations stands out as a remarkable and deeply inspiring development. This is not just a celebration of academic achievement, it is a victory for second chances, a triumph of human spirit, and a powerful reflection of what compassionate governance can achieve.
To the inmates, I say, congratulations. Your dedication, resilience, and courage to pursue education behind bars speak volumes. You have not only passed an examination, you have rewritten your narrative and given yourselves and the society watching you a reason to hope again. This milestone is proof that no one is beyond redemption and that with the right support, every human being can rediscover purpose.
But behind this laudable success is a system that made it possible. The Kano State Government, under the leadership of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, deserves resounding commendation. His administration’s decision to fully sponsor the inmates’ education under the Centre for Inmates’ Continuity Education is a reflection of rare political will, deep humanity, and steadfast dedication to human development.
This is governance at its finest one that prioritizes not just infrastructure, but lives not just punishment, but transformation.
The governor’s compassion and bold reforms, including the relocation of the outdated Kurmawa Correctional Facility to the modern Janguza Correctional Centre, demonstrate a forward-thinking approach to corrections. This move does not just modernize facilities, it humanizes them. It is an act of leadership that recognizes the dignity of all citizens, even those who have erred.
This achievement should not be the end of the journey. I strongly urge the Kano State Government to build on this momentum by facilitating the enrolment of successful inmates into the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN). This would ensure continuity in their education and empower them to fully reintegrate into society with employable skills and academic qualifications. Education beyond NECO will unlock broader opportunities, equipping them to become contributors not burdens to their communities.
Additionally, it is my sincere hope and wish that more skill acquisition schemes will be initiated within the correctional centres programs that will equip inmates with practical, income-generating abilities that go beyond the classroom. We must continue to empower them with the tools needed to thrive after their sentences are completed. Everyone has a unique destiny and talent waiting to be tapped, and when properly harnessed, these individuals can return to society as better citizens, productive, confident, and transformed.
As a society, we must recognize that true development is measured not only in roads and bridges, but in the transformation of lives especially the lives of the most vulnerable. What has been achieved in Kano is not merely a correctional program, it is a blueprint for national transformation through rehabilitation and inclusion.
To the correctional officers, educators, and support staff involved in this process thank you for believing in the inmates and in the possibility of a better tomorrow.
To Governor Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf this is the kind of leadership Nigeria needs, one that governs with empathy, purpose, and vision. May your government continue to lead with such integrity and continue to inspire hope where despair once lived.
And to the 68 successful inmates may this be just the beginning. May you be given every opportunity and support to pursue your education further and fulfill your new dreams. The journey ahead may still be challenging, but your future is no longer behind you it is ahead, and it is bright.
Let this serve as a wake-up call to other states and the federal government that restoring lives is a noble duty, and that true justice includes the opportunity for redemption.
Sarki, is the Vice President Human right watch and youth emporement foundation write from zawaciki, kano
