What is the name of your organization?
Headfort Foundation For Justice
What is the name of your solution?
Tech Behind Bars
Provide a one-line summary or tagline for your solution.
Empowering incarcerated Nigerians with computer literacy for workforce reintegration and economic resilience
In what city, town, or region is your solution team headquartered?
Lagos, Nigeria
In what country is your solution team headquartered?
NGA
What type of organization is your solution team?
Nonprofit
Film your elevator pitch.
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What specific problem are you solving?
In Nigeria, over 70,000 inmates face economic exclusion due to significant barriers to societal reintegration such as limited digital skills. Globally, 2.6 billion people remain offline, with incarcerated populations particularly underserved, lacking access to technology that could bridge economic opportunity gaps. In Nigerian prisons, only 5% of inmates receive vocational training, leaving most unprepared for modern job markets requiring digital literacy. Factors like institutional neglect, limited technological access, and societal stigma hinder their ability to secure employment or access financial services post-release. Tech Behind Bars addresses this by providing computer literacy training, targeting the digital divide and workforce exclusion faced by inmates, enabling them to participate in Nigeria’s growing digital economy and reducing recidivism through economic empowerment.
What is your solution?
Tech Behind Bars is an economic impact program aimed at delivering training to incarcerated adults and youth in Nigerian prisons and juvenile homes. It uses offline computer labs equipped with adaptive software to teach basic computing, coding, and digital communication skills. Instructors, supported by Headfort Foundation For Justice, conduct workshops tailored to inmates’ needs. The program operates in pilot mode, currently training 15 inmates in one Lagos prison, with plans to scale nationally. It leverages low-cost, offline technology use to overcome connectivity barriers, ensuring accessibility for offline populations. The solution prepares inmates for reintegration by equipping them with skills for digital job markets.
Who does your solution serve, and in what ways will the solution impact their lives?
Tech Behind Bars serves incarcerated adults and youth in Nigeria, a highly underserved population facing stigma, economic exclusion, and limited access to education. With over 70,000 inmates, most lack digital skills, hindering employment and financial inclusion post-release. The solution provides economic empowerment through human capacity development in computer literacy, enabling them to access digital job platforms, pursue freelance opportunities, or start tech-enabled businesses. By fostering skills for Nigeria’s digital economy, it reduces recidivism and enhances economic resilience. A trained inmate could secure remote work or open a bank account, addressing the 1.4 billion unbanked globally. The program empowers inmates to rebuild dignity and contribute to their communities, directly improving their economic prospects.
