President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the recruitment of 50 medical doctors and 100 nurses to serve in hospitals across Nigeria’s correctional centres.

The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, disclosed this on Tuesday while receiving the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, who paid him a courtesy visit in Abuja.

Tunji-Ojo said the president approved the recruitment following the shortage of medical personnel in several correctional facilities across the country. He noted that some centres currently lack qualified medical staff, citing a correctional centre in Rivers State where the hospital reportedly operates without a medical doctor to attend to inmates.

He added that despite the shortage of personnel, some facilities possess equipment capable of carrying out major surgical procedures, including the hospital at the Kuje Correctional Centre.

According to the minister, the president recognises the responsibility of government to ensure the welfare of all Nigerians, including those in correctional custody.

Tunji-Ojo also highlighted ongoing reforms within the correctional system, particularly programmes aimed at building inmates’ skills. He explained that the Federal Government had introduced a “train-the-trainer” initiative, which involves conducting skills audits among inmates to identify their competencies and empower them to train other inmates.

He added that inmates who complete the programmes are supported to enable them to pass on their knowledge to others, as part of broader efforts to improve rehabilitation and reintegration.

The minister further disclosed that the administration had increased inmates’ feeding allowance by 50 per cent, describing the move as part of efforts to improve their welfare.

Tunji-Ojo emphasised the need for stronger collaboration with the Ministry of Information and National Orientation to effectively communicate the achievements of the Ministry of Interior to the Nigerian public.

He also noted that the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps had introduced a special unit known as “Mine Marshals” in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development to secure mining sites across the country.

According to him, the initiative has contributed to a reduction in criminal activities and violence within the mining sector while helping to protect critical national assets.