Former Anambra State Governor and 2023 presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi, has paid the National Examinations Council (NECO) examination fees for 148 inmates in correctional centres across Anambra State.
The inmates, drawn from the Awka, Onitsha, Nnewi and Aguata correctional centres, sat for the November/December 2025 NECO General Certificate Examination (GCE).
Obi said the gesture followed an appeal by representatives of inmates in correctional facilities across the state, who sought his intervention over their inability to pay the examination fees.
He explained that upon receiving the request, he wrote to NECO, providing a formal letter guaranteeing full payment of the candidates’ fees.
A few days later, Obi paid an unannounced visit to the NECO office in Awka, where he personally presented a cheque to cover the full cost of the exercise. According to him, the total amount, which included examination fees and logistics, came to ₦4,741,400.
The former governor also disclosed that after sharing details of the intervention online, some of his friends in the diaspora reached out to express interest in supporting similar initiatives.
Addressing the inmates, Obi underscored the transformative power of education, describing it as a vital tool for personal reform and successful reintegration into society.
He urged the beneficiaries to take full advantage of the opportunity as a means of rebuilding their lives and becoming productive members of their communities after incarceration.
Obi further called on the government to deliberately reposition correctional centres across the country as genuine centres of rehabilitation, where inmates are equipped with education, skills and hope for a meaningful life beyond confinement.
“Correctional centres in Nigeria should function as true centres of rehabilitation,” he said. “The government should consider supporting educational initiatives for deserving inmates.”
Meanwhile, Obi recently donated ₦15 million to the College of Nursing Sciences at St Charles Borromeo Hospital, Onitsha, to support the training of nurses.
