Following the recent statistics revealing the overwhelming number of people locked up in Nigerian correctional facilities, a renewed call for urgent prison reforms has gained momentum.
Legal experts, human rights advocates, and business leaders are drawing attention to the troubling reality: out of over 86,000 inmates across the country, nearly 70% are still awaiting trial.
Even more alarming is the estimated 26,000 children currently in custody — many of them either born in prison or detained under questionable legal grounds.
During a well-attended event in Lekki, Lagos State, Ejike Egbuagu, CEO of the finance firm Moneda, announced the creation of the Egbuagu Foundation. The initiative, launched as part of his 40th birthday celebration, is setting out to secure the release of 1,000 wrongfully detained individuals from prisons nationwide.
“Our first foundation, established in 1952, supported African artists by giving them access to global markets. The Egbuagu Foundation, launched today, will focus on providing pro bono legal services to help wrongfully detained Nigerians regain their freedom,” he said.
Egbuagu noted that the new foundation would concentrate especially on young people in detention. He explained that many of them possess creative skills that could be developed even while behind bars. “Our screening will focus on age and the circumstances of their incarceration,” he added.
As of April 28, 2025, Nigeria’s correctional system is operating at nearly 137% of its intended capacity. This overcrowding has left thousands of people — including minors — without proper legal representation or even a clear record of their detention.
Egbuagu noted that some inmates do not have case files, which severely delays justice or any chance of release.
To tackle this, the foundation has already begun working with a team of legal professionals who will provide services free of charge. While some lawyers have agreed to volunteer, Egbuagu said that financial support will be given to cover basic costs and time spent on cases.
“Capital is crucial, and we’re committed to providing that,” he noted.
He added that full operations for the foundation would begin in June 2025, after a 90-day preparation phase involving partner onboarding, inmate file creation, and collaboration with correctional centers.
“Right now, we’re finalizing agreements with our partners, introducing ourselves to the prisons, and identifying target inmates. Many inmates don’t even have files in the system — we’ll be creating those files and documenting why they shouldn’t be there,” he said.
Legal expert Zikora Okwor-Wewan, also present at the event, welcomed the move and confirmed she had already been working with wrongly imprisoned inmates. “Helping to free 1,000 people is the kind of work I want to do,” she said.
She also restated the severe prison conditions in Nigeria. “Nigeria has around 80,000 inmates, and about 70% of them are still awaiting trial. There are also around 26,000 children in prison either arrested or born to incarcerated parents. Some don’t have birth certificates or legal documentation. Many are just stuck in the system.”
