The Delta State Governor, Sherriff Oborevwori and Nigerian Correctional Services on Tuesday, commended TANTITA Security Services Nigeria Limited, TSSNL for building and officially commissioning a Study Centre of the National Open University of Nigeria,NOUN Study Center at the Medium Security Custodial Center, in Warri, Delta State.
Governor Oborevwori was represented by Commissioner for Higher Education, Prof. Nyerhovwo Tonukarin.
The Governor said, “As Governor of Delta State, I am proud to witness this milestone, which underscores the power of purposeful collaboration between government and the private sector in building a more inclusive, rehabilitative and progressive society.”
He appreciated the Management of TANTITA Security Services Nigeria Limited, TSSNL led by High Chief (Dr.) Oweizide Government Ekpemupolo Alias Tompolo for building the NOUN Study Centre at the prison.
“Your commitment to corporate social responsibility is both exemplary and inspiring. Beyond your critical role in safeguarding our strategic national assets, you have demonstrated that true security is not only about protecting pipelines and infrastructure but also about investing in people.
“This project is not just a building, it is a beacon of hope, a testament to second chances and a tangible contribution to the rehabilitation and reintegration of fellow citizens.
“Education remains the most powerful tool for transformation. Within our correctional facilities, it is not merely an academic exercise but a lifeline. Too many of our inmates come here burdened by poverty, illiteracy and despair.
“With access to education and vocational training, they can acquire the knowledge, skills and self-confidence to rebuild their lives upon release.
“This eight-classroom block will provide the platform for literacy programmes, vocational training and academic pursuits, helping to replace cycles of recidivism with pathways of personal growth and responsible citizenship.
“This project aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 4 on quality education and our own MORE Agenda: Meaningful Development, Opportunities for All, Realistic Reforms and Enhanced Peace and Security.
“Under this administration, we have deliberately prioritized improvements in correctional services across the State, recognizing that justice is incomplete without genuine reformation and restoration. We have invested in upgrading facilities, enhancing staff training and promoting welfare programmes that prepare inmates for life beyond confinement.
“This partnership with Tantita Security Services represents a shining example of how private sector actors can meaningfully complement government efforts. I therefore call on other corporate organizations, philanthropists, and community leaders to emulate this noble gesture.
“Together, we can build a Delta State where no one is left behind and where our correctional centres become hubs of transformation rather than holding structures.
“To the staff of the Nigerian Correctional Service, I salute your sacrifice and resilience. Yours is a calling often overlooked but it remains vital to law, order and societal balance.
“To the inmates, I speak to you directly; seize this opportunity as education is your passport to freedom, not just from these walls but from the limitations that once confined your dreams. Let those classrooms mark the beginning of a new chapter in your lives.”
The Comptroller General, of Corrections, Sylvester Ndidi Nwakuche who was represented by Assistant Comptroller of Prisons, Kingsley Njoku said the study centre is central to the collective enhancement and reintegration of inmates into the society.
He said,”Let me begin by commending you for the courage, foresight and determination you have demonstrated in siting this magnificent project in the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Warri,Delta State. It could have been sited elsewhere but you chose to build it here for the vulnerable.
“I also extend my sincere appreciation to your management team for ensuring the early completion, equipping and commissioning of this state of the art block of classrooms that is completed only to Harvard and Cambridge Schools(Universities).
“May I inform you that this project is coming at a time when reforms are central to our collective mission under the Renewed Hope Age da of the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,GCFR, therefore, our gathering here has further demonstrated the importance attached to education as a veritable tool for reformation in Correctional Service.”
The Comptroller General stated that,”The commissioning of this block of classrooms in this custodial Centre aligns with our objective and will further add to the number of custodial centres having National Open University of Nigeria, NOUN Study Centre and also give opportunity to the growing number of inmates seeking education to pursue their career unhindered.”
He assured the Management of TANTITA Security Services Nigeria Limited that the block of classrooms will be effectively used for the singular purpose with a promise that in the next three(3)years,”you will hear the success story of our graduates”.
Comptroller of Prisons, Delta State Command, CC Raymond Nwaoku said the NOUN Study Centre is not for convicts or inmates alone just he enjoined individuals within the environment to take full advantage of the programmes.
While thanking God for the gift of life to witness the official commissioning of the NOUN Study Centre, CC Nwaoku also commended TANTITA Security Services Nigeria Limited, TSSNL for helping to train more of its inmates with a view bring them out of crime and criminality as well as reintegrating them into society.
He said TANTITA Security Services Nigeria Limited has built the NOUN Study Centre just as he called on corporate organizations to assist TANTITA Security Services Nigeria Limited building and saving lives.
He also appealed to the Management of TANTITA Security Services Nigeria Limited,TSSNL to help furnish the NOUN Study Centre with computers to aid teaching and learning.
He commended popular Comedian simply identified “Prophet” for facilitating the project for the facility.
The Managing Director, TANTITA Security Services Nigeria Limited, TSSNL, High Chief (Engr.) Kestin Ebimorbowei Pondi said,”Today is a landmark date for the Nigerian Correctional Service and a day of renewed hope for inmates of the Warri Medium Security Custodial Centre, because we are gathered together here to launch the newly built 2-storey building dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge and learning in our custodial facility.”
According to Chief Pondi,”This building will house the National Open University Study Centre for custodial inmates here in Warri. It is also a landmark for Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited as we reach out to the high and low of society, to say no one is forgotten in our society. It is a day that reinforces our conviction at Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited that security is not only about protecting assets and territories, but also about investing in human lives, rebuilding destinies, and shaping a better future for our society.”
In his words, “ The Nigerian Correctional Service, formerly known as the Nigerian Prisons Service, is one of the oldest institutions in Nigeria, going all the way back to 1862, one year after the Colony of Lagos was proclaimed by the British as a counterpart to the first set of four courts established for the colony. Since then, the service has continued to play a vital role in rehabilitating persons convicted or accused of committing offences against the law in Nigeria.
The Nigerian Correctional Services performs the following ten functions;
- Receiving and Holding detainees.
- Rehabilitating inmates. They aim to reform prisoners through counseling, education, and job training programs.
- Ensuring the welfare of inmates.
- Maintaining security.
- Supervising inmates.
- Reintegrating ex-inmates into society.
- Documenting and Keeping records of inmates
- Permitting visitation.
- Transporting inmates.
- Releasing qualified inmates.
Of all these, perhaps the most important is the rehabilitation of inmates and that is where education plays a vital role.
On August 15, 2019, the Federal Government of Nigeria took a bold step in reforming our justice system by transforming the Nigerian Prisons into Correctional Centres. This was not just a change of name, but a deliberate shift in philosophy; from punishment to rehabilitation, from stigma to dignity, from exclusion to reintegration.
In alignment with this national vision, Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited has chosen to support the Warri Correctional Centre with this newly constructed, 2-storey educational facility.
This modern building; comprising eight fully furnished classrooms, an administrative office, water-system toilets, a borehole supply system, and a solar-powered inverter system; represents more than an investment in bricks and mortar. It represents opportunity. It represents hope. And it represents the belief that every person, regardless of their past conduct, can be transformed through education. It represents a second chance.
“This project is also consistent with Tantita’s wider commitment to community development across Nigeria. Only recently, Tantita had the honour of renovating the historic Sultan Bello Mosque in Kaduna; a landmark of faith and culture; which was formally commissioned by His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, last week on Friday 19th September.
“That project, like this one, reflects our philosophy that true security is built not only through vigilance alone, but also through investment in people, communities, and the values that bind us together.
“Education is the most powerful tool of rehabilitation. It opens minds, reforms character, and creates pathways for reintegration into society. By God’s grace, this facility will soon host the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) Study Centre, giving both inmates and staff access to a qualitative path to academic advancement.
“This milestone will not only transform individuals but will also strengthen our collective security as a nation, because an educated mind is more inclined to productivity.”
He appreciated the Nigerian Correctional Service, both here in Warri and at the Headquarters in Abuja, for their cooperation and encouragement throughout this journey.
“I also extend my gratitude to the Deputy Controller of Corrections, DCC Richard Egbede, for his kind words and steadfast commitment to making this project a reality for the correctional
service.
“For us at Tantita, this project may be corporate social responsibility, but it is not just Corporate Social Responsibility. It is a moral duty, a social investment, and a testament to our unwavering belief that Nigeria can only be truly secure when her people are empowered, rehabilitated, and given a chance to thrive.
“I dedicate this facility to the future of the staff and inmates who will study here, to their families who long for their reintegration or elevation, and to the larger society that will benefit from their transformation.
“May this building serve as a beacon of hope, a centre of learning, and a symbol of second chances.”
