The Rotary Club of Kano has provided vocational training to 70 inmates of the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Kano as part of efforts to support their rehabilitation and reintegration into society.
The programme was facilitated in collaboration with the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), Kano State Command.
The 2026/2027 District Governor of Rotary International District 9127, Nigeria, Sikiru Adetona-Owonikoko, said the beneficiaries had successfully completed training in tailoring and other vocational skills and were presented with certificates.
He said humanitarian service remained a major focus of Rotary, adding that support for custodial centres should go beyond material donations to include sustainable skills that would enable inmates to rebuild their lives after release.
Adetona-Owonikoko said the club had, over the past year, donated a modern sewing machine to the custodial centre to enhance vocational training.
He said the partnership with the NCoS was aimed at providing practical skills to promote self-reliance among inmates after discharge.
The district governor commended the inmates for their commitment to learning despite their circumstances and reaffirmed Rotary’s commitment to initiatives promoting the welfare, rehabilitation, skills acquisition and reintegration of inmates.
The First Lady of District 9127, Hajia Zainab Owonikoko, expressed satisfaction with the participation of female inmates in the programme, saying practical skills would improve their chances of becoming self-reliant and contributing meaningfully to their families and communities after release.
The President of Rotary Club Kano, Kamaldeen Salaudeen, urged members of the public to patronise products made through vocational programmes at the custodial centre, saying such support would encourage the inmates and strengthen the rehabilitation process.
He added that the club had facilitated the release of some inmates with minor offences by paying applicable fines to provide deserving inmates with an opportunity for reintegration.
The Kano Command Controller of Corrections, Ahmed Yusuf-Lakpene, represented by the Officer-in-Charge of Kurmawa Custodial Centre, DCC Ibrahim Isah-Rambo, appreciated the Rotary Club for its sustained support.
He said the intervention complemented the efforts of the NCoS in reforming and rehabilitating inmates through skills acquisition and empowerment.
Yusuf-Lakpene said the initiative was in line with the objectives of the Nigerian Correctional Service Act, 2019, which provides for education, vocational training and other programmes aimed at preparing inmates for responsible living after discharge.
He reaffirmed the service’s commitment to collaborating with credible organisations and development partners to provide inmates with opportunities for skills acquisition, education and personal development to reduce recidivism and promote safer, more productive communities.
