The Federal Government says it is exploring strategic partnership opportunities with the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) regarding the rehabilitation and fostering of positive transformation within the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS).
This is contained in a statement by the Director of Press and Public Relations, Ministry of Interior, Mr Ozoya Imohimi, on Wednesday in Abuja.
The director stated that the Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, made this known when a delegation of NFF officials led by its President, Alhaji Ibrahim Gusau, paid him a courtesy visit in Abuja.
It stated that Tunji-Ojo had said that he was always excited to be involved in the football programme.
“I am extremely excited; it is about the female gender. And I see the project as capable of filling in the gap.
“Sports, as a form of recreation, remains a unifier that is capable of bridging gaps and transforming people across the globe,” he said.
“The name change from prisons to corrections is rooted in a deeper ideology. You know the name changed not just for the sake of change, but because of projects like this.
“From a place of incarceration, corrections is a place of rebirth, a place of rehabilitation. We are happy about this partnership; it is a marriage,” he said.
The minister assured Nigerians that the Federal Government was committed to transforming the lives of inmates through inclusiveness.
He added that the present administration was committed to fostering the collaboration between the NFF and the NCoS.
He said the collaboration aligned with the vision to drive the rehabilitation of inmates across all correctional centres.
The minister added that the collaboration would, no doubt, promote a more inclusive and supportive society.
Earlier, the NFF president had stated that the reason for the visit was to seek the partnership of NCoS on their pilot project, “Gender Empowerment Initiative.”
This, he said, was aimed to assist in empowering, rehabilitating, and successfully reintegrating incarcerated women back into society.
He said it would also help them to build positive mental fortitude, confidence, and essential skills needed for successful reintegration.(NAN)
