The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has said that doctors, nurses, psychologists, and lawyers would be deployed to correctional centres across Nigeria as their place of primary assignment.
The move follows President Bola Tinubu’s directive, which was conveyed by the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, during the recent inauguration of operational vehicles and guard booths in Abuja.
According to a statement from the Public Relations Unit of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), on Thursday, the initiative aimed to improve healthcare and legal aid for inmates while supporting ongoing prison reforms.
The Acting Controller-General of Corrections (Ag. CGC), Sylvester Ndidi Nwakuche, confirmed this development during a visit to NYSC Director-General, Brigadier General YD Ahmed, at the agency’s headquarters in Abuja.
Nwakuche said that a significant number of inmates in correctional facilities were youths, emphasizing the need for NYSC’s support in bridging critical gaps.
He called for the deployment of corps doctors and nurses to provide medical care, while lawyers would offer pro bono and paralegal services to enhance the speedy dispensation of justice.
“Youths are the backbone of a nation and should be redirected from criminality to productivity,” Nwakuche said, stressing the importance of rehabilitation programmes.
Brigadier General YD Ahmed commended the initiative, describing the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) as an institution that truly aligned with its mandate of reforming and rehabilitating inmates.
He pledged the NYSC’s full support, granting immediate approval for the deployment of corps members in custodial centres.
“From the next batch, corps doctors, nurses, psychologists, and lawyers will be posted to correctional facilities as part of NYSC’s commitment to providing social services to vulnerable and underserved communities,” he stated.
The deployment is expected to enhance healthcare, legal assistance, and psychological support for inmates, reinforcing ongoing efforts to transform Nigeria’s correctional system.