By Ibironke Ariyo
The Public and Private Development Centre (PPDC) has donated essential equipment to law clinics in five universities across Nigeria, in a move aimed at enhancing access to justice for pretrial detainees.
Munachi Okoro, Head Communications and Knowledge Management, PPDC, said this in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja.
Okoro said that the equipment, valued at millions of naira, included smart boards, conference tables and chairs, bookshelves, filing cabinets, public address systems, computers, printers, digital cameras, and inverters.
She said that the donation was part of the Reforming Pretrial Detention in Nigeria (RPDN) project, funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL).
“The benefiting universities include Veritas University, Philomath University, Baze University, Nile University, and the University of Abuja.
“The equipment is expected to improve the operational efficiency of the law clinics, enhance their advocacy skills, and provide high-quality paralegal services to pretrial detainees,”she said.
Okoro quoted the Chief Executive Officer of PPDC, Lucy Abagi as saying that the donation of the equipment was a critical step towards enhancing access to justice for pretrial detainees in Nigeria.
She said that with continued support from the U.S. Department of State, the RPDN project was expected to bring lasting positive change to Nigeria’s approach to pretrial detention.
This, she said included ensuring greater access to justice for marginalised and vulnerable groups
“We are committed to supporting the development of a robust and effective justice system in Nigeria, and we believe that this donation will go a long way in achieving that goal.
“The RPDN project is designed to strengthen the legal and institutional framework surrounding pretrial detention in Nigeria.
“The project focuses on improving access to justice, enhancing human rights protections for detainees, and addressing systemic challenges within the country’s criminal justice system.
“The donation of equipment to these law clinics is expected to have a significant impact on the ability of law students and young lawyers to provide effective legal representation to pretrial detainees.
“The equipment will also enable law clinics to improve their operational efficiency, enhance their advocacy skills, and provide high-quality paralegal services to detainees,”she said.
