By David Diepreye Sheriff
Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited (TSSNL) has commissioned a National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) Study Centre at the Warri Medium Security Correctional Services (NCS), providing inmates and surrounding residents with access to quality education and vocational training.
The newly completed facility features eight fully furnished classrooms, a solar-powered system, and a borehole, designed to support both academic and vocational learning. The initiative is part of Tantita Security Services’ broader commitment to human development, community-building, and rehabilitation of offenders.
At the commissioning ceremony on Tuesday, Tantita’s Managing Director, High Chief Kestin Pondi, said the project reflects the company’s philosophy that security goes beyond protecting pipelines or borders. “True security is not just about protecting pipelines or borders, but about rebuilding lives. This 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,” he stated. He added that the centre is intended to serve as “a beacon of hope, a centre of learning, and a symbol of second chances.”
Officials from the NCS and Delta State Government described the project as a national model, aligning with President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, represented by the Commissioner for Higher Education, Prof. Nyerhovwo Tonukari, emphasized the role of education in rehabilitation. “Justice is incomplete without genuine reformation. This is not charity, it’s prevention. You cannot build enough prisons to contain crime, but you can educate people out of it,” he said.
The Comptroller General of Corrections, represented by Assistant Comptroller of Prisons Kingsley Njoku, described the centre as “a catalyst for the collective reintegration of inmates,” reaffirming education as central to the country’s reform agenda.
Tantita’s initiative follows its earlier renovation of the Sultan Bello Mosque in Kaduna and reflects a growing commitment to social investment in programs that strengthen communities. The NOUN Study Centre is open not only to inmates but also to residents of surrounding communities, creating a rare link between the correctional facility and the public.
Delta State Comptroller of Prisons, CC Raymond Nwaoku, noted that the centre would reduce crime through education while boosting literacy and opportunities in Warri’s urban communities. He appealed for additional support, particularly computers to facilitate digital learning, stressing, “This building is a foundation, not a finished product.”
The study centre is expected to enhance inmate rehabilitation, support community education, and provide a model for public-private partnerships in correctional reform across Nigeria.
