Borstal institutions: Nigerian government inaugurates committee for reformation

The Nigerian Government has inaugurated a technical committee for the review of Borstal institutions and remand centres across the country.

The Attorney General and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami, while inaugurating the committee, said that the essence is to have a sustainable reformation of the Nigerian Juvenile justice system.

Borstal institutions are an institution which provides education to young offenders, who are kept in remand homes.

The review of the Borstal institutions according to Nigeria’s Attorney General and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami, became imperative for the juvenile justice system to go in conformity with the Child Rights act 2015 and the Correctional services act 2019.

Malami represented by the Solicitor General of the federation, Mrs Beatrice Jedy-Agba, noted that it was for that reason, that the Ministry partnered with the Ministry of the interior, Nigeria’s Law Reform Commission and the Women Affairs Ministry to review and prepare a draft bill of the Borstal institutions and remand Centres acts 2004.

Malami, who charged members of the Committee to be diligent in the assignment promised that the final document would be presented to President for our onward transmission to the National Assembly for enactment.

“A large number of children in Nigeria come in contact with the law as survivors of violence, but very few of those cases make it to the courtrooms”, Malami said.

The Chairman Presidential Committee on Correctional Reforms, Retired Justice Ishaq Bello, explained that currently, Nigeria has only three Borstal institutions, which is contrary to the correctional services act 2019 that provided for the establishment of one Borstal institution in each state of the federation.

He said, “the time has come to reform Borstal institution in Nigeria to achieve effective public interventions in child welfare and protection, family and care as well as help address Juvenile delinquency in the country.”

The acting Director of criminal justice and reforms, Mrs Leticia Ayoola- Daniels also said she was hopeful that the review will bring the needed changes in Borstal institutions and remand Centres across the country.

Among the terms of reference of the Committee is to bring the act in conformity with international best practices and rules, treaties and conventions binding Nigeria as well as to emphasize regular educational and vocational training regime with a demanding physical training content for children in remand Centres.

It is also to enable juveniles to earn a percentage of the profit made from selling any of their hand work.

Dominica Nwabufo