Customs brings ‘Renewed Hope’ to Kirikiri as Adeniyi commissions classroom block for inmates
Maureen Aguta
In a move that underscores its expanding social footprint, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has commissioned a four-classroom block at the Kirikiri Medium Correctional Centre in Lagos, reinforcing its commitment to rehabilitation through education.
The Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Adewale Adeniyi, inaugurated the facility on Wednesday, February 11, 2026. The project was executed by the Kirikiri Lighter Terminal (KLT) Command under the Service’s Corporate Social Responsibility platform, the Customs Cares Initiative.
The newly built classroom block is aimed at strengthening educational access for inmates and enhancing their prospects for reintegration into society.
Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, Adeniyi said the Service would sustain people-centred interventions aligned with national development priorities and global standards, particularly the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“The Nigeria Customs Service, through the Customs Cares Initiative, will continue to undertake interventions inspired by the Sustainable Development Goals, especially in education, healthcare, water provision and literacy support,” he said. “This project also aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which focuses on improving lives and promoting sustainable national development.”
The CGC commended Assistant Comptroller-General (ACG) Joy Edeldouk for initiating and driving the project to completion, describing her leadership as exemplary.
Representing the Comptroller-General of Corrections, Sylvester Nwakuche, Deputy Comptroller-General of Corrections Amos Kupan described the intervention as a significant boost to the centre’s rehabilitation mandate.
“This laudable intervention demonstrates the Nigeria Customs Service’s strong commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility and its support for the rehabilitation objectives of the Nigerian Correctional Service,” Kupan said. “It reflects the shared responsibility of government institutions in nation-building and human capital development.”
He added that the new facility would enhance the learning environment within the correctional centre and expand opportunities for both academic and vocational training.
ACG Edeldouk, alongside the Acting Customs Area Controller of the Kirikiri Lighter Terminal Command, Deputy Comptroller Bolaji Adigun, described the classroom block as more than a physical structure — calling it a symbol of hope and personal transformation for inmates seeking a second chance through education.
Stakeholders at the event lauded the Customs Service for extending its impact beyond revenue generation and border security to champion social development and human dignity.
The ceremony culminated in the official commissioning of the classroom block by the CGC, followed by a guided tour of the facility — a tangible reminder that rehabilitation, when backed by opportunity, can pave the way for renewal.