By Ibironke Ariyo
No fewer than 1,334 serving, retired and deceased personnel of the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS) benefitted from the service’s N1.43 billion welfare package in 2025.
The Controller General, NCoS, Sylvester Nwakuche, disclosed this at a ceremony to mark the 20th anniversary of the Correctional Welfare Insurance Scheme (CWIS), on Wednesday in Abuja.
Nwakuche said that the theme of the year 2025 workshop, “Leveraging Insurance as a Game-Changing Strategy for Sustainable Retirement: The NCoS Insurance Welfare Scheme Experience”, was both timely and compelling.
He said that it challenged the service to re-examine insurance not merely as a compliance requirement, but as a strategic tool for protecting lives, securing families, and guaranteeing dignity at retirement.
He noted that the correctional profession was one of sacrifice, adding that officers worked under high-risk and high-pressure conditions, often unseen and underappreciated.
“It is, therefore, incumbent upon the institution to ensure that those who serve the nation faithfully are not left vulnerable in times of loss, illness, or at the end of active service.
“Welfare in this regard, is not charity, it is justice. The figures I am about to present are not mere statistics; they represent lives touched, families sustained, and dignity preserved.
“Between January and December 2025 alone, the scheme recorded significant interventions that speak clearly to its value.
“We paid a total of N210,080,094 to 140 next-of-kin beneficiaries of our fallen colleagues as death benefit claims.
“These payments represent more than figures on a balance sheet; they represent families shielded from sudden destitution and dependants given a measure of stability in moments of profound loss,” he said.
The CG also said that 908 retired officers received retirement benefits amounting to N1,141,422,272.
“This is a strong statement of our resolve that officers who give their productive years to the service should exit with dignity, not uncertainty.
“In addition, medical claims totalling N78,441,456 were paid on behalf of 286 staff beneficiaries within the same period.
“In an era where healthcare costs continue to rise and can quickly deplete family savings, this intervention has proven to be both timely and, in some cases, life-saving.
“Officers who might otherwise have faced hardship or even gone into debt to meet their medical expenses received timely financial support for their healthcare needs.
“Cumulatively, in just one year, CWIS disbursed approximately N1.43 billion to our personnel and their beneficiaries.”
Nwakuche further said that the CWIS experience was a scheme that delivered real value, honoured its commitments, and had earned the trust of the officers.
He said this was through consistent performance, while standing as a model for sister agencies that lacked similar arrangements.
“For a service like ours where officers face occupational hazards, daily and retirement needs are both urgent and significant, a well-managed insurance scheme is not merely beneficial; it is indispensable,” he emphasised.
The CG stressed that the 908 retirees who received their benefits in 2025 were living testimonies to this fact, adding that the 140 families who lost breadwinners but received financial support were proof that CWIS works.
He added that the 286 officers who obtained medical assistance were evidence that the scheme was indeed a game changer.
“The N1.43 billion disbursed in 2025 represents hope fulfilled, promises kept, and lives transformed. It points to what we can achieve when we prioritise the welfare of our personnel.
“Let this workshop help us build on this foundation to create an even stronger, more sustainable CWIS for the future.
“As management, we remain fully committed to strengthening the CWIS through continuous capacity building, credible partnerships, policy support, and our determination to continuously improve and expand the scheme to meet the evolving needs of our personnel.
“But institutional commitment must be matched by operational diligence at all levels. Your input during this workshop will be invaluable in shaping the future direction of CWIS,” he also said.
In her remarks, the CWIS Secretary, Hannatu Mamman, reaffirmed the scheme’s commitment to safeguarding the welfare and financial security of personnel of the NCoS.
Describing the milestone as “two decades of commitment, evolution and standing as a fortress of welfare”, the secretary said the scheme was established as a promise to correctional officers that they would not stand alone in times of crisis.
“You, the men and women of the NCoS, are the backbone of justice in this country. Officers daily uphold discipline, enforce the law and safeguard rehabilitation and societal order.
“Since its inception 20 years ago, the scheme has paid claims to officers who lost loved ones, supported families during critical illnesses and provided financial bridges for personnel transitioning into retirement.
“This scheme has not just survived; it has thrived and evolved, not because of bureaucracy, but because officers believed in it, contributed to it and entrusted us with their welfare,” Mamman said.
Highlights of the event were presentation of awards to deserving persons, paper presentations, among others. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Deborah Coker
