The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Nigeria, in partnership with the States Progressive Attorneys-General Consortium, the Joint UN Team on AIDS, and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, has launched a High-Level Observatory and National Studies on Custodial, Detention, and Rehabilitation Services in Nigeria.
The initiative aims to tackle human rights violations and public health challenges in prisons, police cells, and rehabilitation centres. It seeks to strengthen legal protections, eliminate stigma and discrimination, and improve access to healthcare in confined environments.
In her opening remarks at the Abuja launch, UNDP Country Representative Elsie Attafuah, speaking on behalf of the Joint UN Team on HIV, TB and Malaria, said the “Observatory is a multi-sectoral platform that underscores the urgency of protecting the dignity, health, and rights of people in confinement—particularly those disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria.”
Represented by Tony Muhumuza, Acting Deputy Representative (Programme), UNDP Nigeria, Attafuah stressed that “health is a fundamental human right,” and called for collective efforts to close healthcare gaps, end discrimination, and strengthen legal safeguards in custodial settings.
She encouraged stakeholders to “engage openly and candidly” and develop “practical, scalable solutions” for improved access to healthcare and legal empowerment.
Global Fund Country Manager Jean-Thomas Nouboussi disclosed that Nigeria has secured $10 million for improved HIV/AIDS service delivery in prisons.
“…$10 million is committed for three years but this was on demand basis, so it’s ongoing for this period from January 2024 to December 2026,” he stated.
UNAIDS-Nigeria Human Rights and Law Adviser, Oluwafisayo Fakayode, said the Observatory represents “an opportunity to reaffirm our collective commitment to dignity, equity and justice and indeed also the rule of law for everyone including all those behind bars.”
The Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, emphasised the public health importance of custodial care.
“The health of those in our custody is not separate from public health—it is integral to it,” he said.
Represented by the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Mohammed Babadoko Fagbemi highlighted the prevalence of HIV, tuberculosis, hepatitis, malaria and mental health conditions in correctional centres and called for urgent reforms.
“What would custodial healthcare look like if we designed it from scratch with health equity and human dignity as our guiding principles?” he asked.
Fagbemi stressed the importance of joint action, noting that “the challenges we face cannot be solved by any single entity working in isolation. Health is a fundamental human right that does not diminish upon incarceration. By working together, stakeholders can develop practical solutions to improve health outcomes and promote human dignity in custodial environments.”
In a welcome address, Abia State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Ikechukwu Uwanna, described the nation’s custodial infrastructure as a “humanitarian crisis in slow motion” driven by unlawful detention, torture, overcrowding, stigma, and denial of healthcare.
He urged bold, coordinated action and pledged Abia State’s support for a rights-based custodial reform agenda.
“Let us not only observe, but act. Let us not only deliberate, but deliver,” he said, adding that “a society is ultimately judged not by how it treats its powerful, but by how it protects its powerless.”
In a goodwill message, Country Coordinating Mechanism (CCM) Nigeria Chairman, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, represented by Executive Secretary, Tajudeen Ibrahim, praised the collaboration between government, civil society, and partners. He noted that CCM has mobilised over $4.8 billion from the Global Fund, with $3.9 billion disbursed as of 2024 for human rights and gender equality initiatives.
“We’ve been able to draw down over $3.9 billion US dollars which have been used judiciously,” he said, stressing that “togetherness we win.”
A presentation by Barrister Ogechi Ogu, Executive Director of the Public Awareness on Rights and Rehabilitation of Vulnerable Persons Initiative, highlighted rights violations in custodial centres and called for immediate reforms.
A panel discussion on Challenges, Legal Safeguards and Remedies explored the intersection of health and justice, while spotlight presentations by NACA, NMEP and NTB detailed efforts on co-infections, treatment continuity, and service integration.
The initiative, convened by UNDP Nigeria under the Joint UN Team on HIV/AIDS with support from the Global Fund, aims to establish a national emergency response, close systemic gaps, and enhance healthcare for detainees.
The gathering brought together justice sector actors from 12 states, health experts, community organisations, development partners, and persons with lived experience to chart a reform path for early intervention, mental health integration, infectious disease control, and workforce development.
PIAK