The National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM), has organised a two-day Skills Acquisition Training for 30 inmates at Lafia custodial centre, Nasarawa state.
Mrs Carolina Okeke, Director of Education Services and Training in the commission, stated this at the end of the exercise on Thursday in Lafia,
She said the training was part of the commission’s social responsibility.
Okeke said the essence of the training was to empower the inmates with relevant skills that would better their lives after serving their jail term.
She said, “Although the duty of the commission is to ensure the safety of cultural artefacts in the country, it has become imperative to come to the aide of the vulnerable in the society to give them a sense of belonging.”
Okeke said the training was a pilot project, adding that the gesture would be extended to other custodial centres in the country.
Also speaking, Dakam Dakot, Curator, NCMM, Nasarawa state office, said that idleness was largely responsible for most of the crimes that led to the imprisonment of some of the inmates.
He said it was on that basis that the commission decided to come to the aid of the inmates through skills acquisition to enable them to get engaged in profitable ventures after serving their jail term.
He advised the inmates to take the training seriously and make judicious use of the knowledge gained to make a positive impact on society after regaining their freedom.
The state Comptroller of Nigerian Correctional Services (NCS), Emmanuel Okoro, thanked the commission for the kind gesture, pointing out that the training would help the inmates in no small measure after their jail term.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the inmates were trained in soap making, body lotion, disinfectants, fascinator, headgear among others.