Entrance to Kirikiri Prison, home to the two doctoral students

Lagos, April 19, 2018 (AltAfrika)-Two inmates of Kirikiri Prison in Lagos have defied the psychological drawback associated with incarceration by enrolling for doctorate degrees at the National Open University (NOUN).

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the two doctoral candidates were among the three inmates who were awarded masters degrees by NOUN Vice Chancellor, Abdalla Adamu.

NAN reports that Tunwashe Kabiru and Oladipupo Moshood enrolled for Doctorate Degrees in Business Administration and Peace and Conflict Resolution, respectively.

Speaking at the ceremony, Comptroller General, Nigeria Prisons Service (NPS), Ja’afaru Ahmed, urged other inmates to make use of the opportunity provided by NOUN to further their education.

Mr Ahmed said that the NPS had empowered many inmates with education from secondary to masters degree level as part of efforts to reform the prisoners.

”For those furthering their education, some have done WAEC while some have proceeded to university for degrees; 420 inmates are currently studying in NOUN and 10 are in 400 level,” Mr Ahmed said.

Presenting the degrees, Mr Adamu, urged the inmates to take advantage of the institution’s free education to prisoners from first degree to doctorate levels.

Mr Adamu said that most of the inmates chose entrepreneurial courses to enable them become independent after serving their jail terms.

He appealed to the NPS to provide an enabling environment for NOUN to provide necessary equipment for inmates at its study centres in prisons.