A delegation from the Prison Fellowship of Nigeria (Onesimus Project), Nigerian Correctional Services (NCS), and the Small and Medium Scale Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), recently visited Covenant University to further strengthen their partnership with the institution.

The delegation, led by Dr. Jacob Tsado, the Executive Director of the Prison Fellowship Nigeria, included Pastor Chinedu Opara (PRO, Prison Fellowship), ACC Mabel Ogbebor (Chaplain, NCS Lagos Command), Prince Ugochukwu Okoroh (CO, SMEDAN), and other representatives. Their visit was aimed at reinforcing their collaborative efforts in prison rehabilitation and reintegration programs.

In his address, Dr. Jacob Tsado praised Covenant University for its significant contribution to the welfare of Nigerian prison inmates. He commended the University for its outstanding work over the past decade, extending its outreach efforts to incarcerated individuals who are in urgent need of rehabilitation. He acknowledged the University's dedication to giving inmates a second chance at life, an initiative that aligns with the goals of the Prison Fellowship Nigeria, which has been working on inmate rehabilitation and reintegration for over 40 years.

Dr. Tsado highlighted the success of the program, noting that since 2010, over 600 inmates have graduated from the rehabilitation program, each with their own unique story of transformation. Additionally, more than 30 mentors have been trained to assist inmates in their reintegration into society. He expressed gratitude to SMEDAN, NCS, and Covenant University for their collaboration in achieving these successes.

In his concluding remarks, Dr. Tsado called for further collaboration to expand the scope of services to more states in Nigeria, with plans to extend the project to seven additional states, starting with Edo, Anambra, Imo, Plateau, FCT, Borno, and Adamawa. He emphasized the need for continued support from Covenant University to achieve this goal. He also praised the University’s groundbreaking initiative to establish an e-learning center in prisons, which could revolutionize learning and rehabilitation in the country.

Chaplain ACC Mabel Ogbebor expressed her deep appreciation for Covenant University’s continued support, emphasizing that many inmates who have been helped by the Onesimus Project are now leading productive lives after their release. She stated that without the University’s intervention, many of these individuals would not have had the opportunity to reintegrate successfully into society.

Mr. Emmanuel Igban, the Registrar of Covenant University, thanked the delegation for their exceptional work in caring for inmates and giving them a chance to become responsible citizens. He assured them that the University would continue its support for the project, which aligns with the institution's vision of restoring dignity to individuals, particularly the African diaspora.

Representing the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Lanre Amodu, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, also expressed gratitude to the visitors and praised their voluntary efforts to improve the lives of inmates. He emphasized that Covenant University’s mission of raising a new generation of leaders includes nurturing good character, not just academic excellence. He shared a personal experience from 2013, when he witnessed firsthand the impact of the university's involvement in a correctional center’s program. He stressed the importance of the project in breaking societal stigmas that often hinder the reintegration of former inmates.

Professor Amodu also recognized the valuable contributions of the university’s Psychology Department and commended SMEDAN for their role in assisting former inmates to settle back into society. He reassured the delegation that the University would continue to support the project and pledged further assistance in the future.

The meeting also saw the presence of Dr. Jonathan Odukoya, Acting Dean of the College of Leadership Development Studies, and other members of the Onesimus Project, SMEDAN, and PFN.

This ongoing collaboration between Covenant University, the Prison Fellowship of Nigeria, Nigerian Correctional Services, and SMEDAN serves as a model for effective prison rehabilitation and reintegration, offering hope and a new beginning for many former inmates across the country.