ESERC was honored to participate in the Strategic Support, Rehabilitation, and Renovation Initiative for the Borstal Training Institute, Enugu State, convened by the Enugu State Justice Reform Team (ESJRT) on Monday, 27 April 2026.
This important engagement brought together government officials, civil society organizations, faith-based institutions, and private sector actors committed to strengthening the juvenile justice system, improving rehabilitation infrastructure, and advancing restorative support for young persons within correctional institutions. It represents a significant step toward creating a more dignified, structured, and reform-oriented environment for rehabilitation and reintegration.
This growing momentum is closely linked to advocacy efforts catalyzed by ESERC’s FEF-OSC-supported project, “Breaking the Cycle of Gender-Based Violence: Survivor-Centered Services and Community Engagement in Enugu State.” Following the launch of the Enugu State GBV Taskforce in December 2025, an operation jointly led by the GBV Taskforce, Ministry of Children, Gender Affairs and Social Development and the Nigerian Police, Enugu State command led to the rescue of 114 adolescent girls from sexual exploitation from 3 hotels in Enugu State. The absence of a functional Borstal Training Institute in Ngwo quickly emerged as a critical gap, as these adolescents and other juvenile offenders require appropriate rehabilitation outside adult correctional facilities.
Through sustained advocacy, media engagement, and multi-stakeholder collaboration, ESERC, GBV Taskforce and other CSOs have amplified calls for the rehabilitation of the Borstal Training Institute in Ngwo, Enugu State. We are encouraged that this advocacy is now receiving increasing attention from both the State Government and the Federal Government.
ESERC, alongside the GBV Taskforce and partners, remains committed to driving this process forward and will continue to hold duty bearers accountable until the facility becomes fully operational.
