EDITORIAL: NECO Exam Payment for Prison Inmates: Peter Obi Doing the Small Things That Matter

By Tony Okafor

The quiet intervention by Mr. Peter Obi, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party and former governor of Anambra State, in the education sector across the country stands out.

It is a reminder that nation-building is not always about billion-naira projects or dramatic speeches, but about small actions carried out with sincerity, consistency, and impact.

Mr. Obi’s unannounced visit to the Anambra State office of the National Examinations Council (NECO) in Awka on Friday was remarkable. It was driven by empathy.

During the visit, he presented a cheque of ₦4,741,400 to cover examination fees and logistics for 148 inmates across correctional centres in Awka, Onitsha, Nnewi, and Aguata.

These are Nigerians who, despite their confinement, dared to hope for education as a pathway to reform and reintegration.

This act adds a profound layer to Obi’s long record of investing millions of naira in schools across Nigeria.

Paying examination fees for prison inmates may appear modest when weighed against larger donations, but its moral significance is immense.

It speaks to a philosophy that sees education not as a privilege reserved for the free and affluent alone, but as a right and a tool for redemption—even behind bars.

The surprise expressed by the NECO State Coordinator, Mrs. Emilia Njoku, is telling. Previous appeals had yielded nothing. Yet Obi not only provided the letter of undertaking required by NECO, he also ensured full payment without fanfare.

Even more striking is how his initial intervention inspired further goodwill, with the Nigerian Friendship Association, USA, stepping in through its education-focused foundation. It is proof that genuine leadership inspires collective action.

History is replete with examples that reinforce Obi’s message. Nelson Mandela famously used his 27 years in prison to reflect, learn, and emerge with the moral authority to lead South Africa.

Malcolm X, the African-American civil rights leader, educated himself in prison, transforming his worldview.

These examples underline a timeless truth: prisons can either harden individuals or reform them. The difference lies in access to opportunity, especially education.

When correctional centres become true centres of reform, society benefits—not just the inmates.

Professor Chinyere Stella Okunna’s description of Obi’s action as noble is apt. It is an intervention that aligns compassion with sound policy thinking.

Obi’s reflections from rehabilitation-focused programmes he observed at California State University, Sacramento, further show that this gesture is not accidental charity, but part of a coherent belief system: that education is the most powerful tool for restoring dignity and reducing recidivism.

In a country grappling with overcrowded prisons, rising crime, and social distrust, this intervention offers a different lens. It challenges us to see inmates not as discarded but as citizens-in-waiting—capable of reform, contribution, and redemption.

Peter Obi’s payment of NECO fees for prison inmates may not dominate headlines for long, but its ripple effects will endure in transformed lives, restored hope, and a reaffirmation of shared humanity.

It is, indeed, one of those small things that matter—and Nigeria needs more of them.