Tinubu Moves To Expand Nigeria’s Prisoner Transfer Agreements Beyond Commonwealth Nations

President Bola Tinubu has transmitted a bill to the Senate seeking to expand Nigeria’s legal framework for transferring convicted offenders between the country and non-Commonwealth nations.

According to Bush Radio Academy, the proposed legislation, titled the Transfer of Convicted Offenders (Enactment and Enforcement) Amendment Bill, 2026, was conveyed to the Senate in a letter read by Senate President Godswill Akpabio during plenary on Tuesday.

The bill seeks to amend the Transfer of Convicted Offenders (Enactment and Enforcement) Act, Cap. T16, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, to enable Nigeria to implement prisoner-transfer agreements with a wider range of countries.

Under the proposed amendment, the President would be empowered to extend the provisions of the existing Act to any country with which Nigeria has entered into an agreement for the transfer of convicted persons. Such an extension would be made through an order published in the Federal Gazette.

Tinubu explained that the amendment would establish a stronger legal foundation for implementing arrangements reached between the Federal Government and foreign administrations concerning the transfer of convicted offenders.

The proposed changes are intended to enable Nigeria to negotiate and enforce prisoner-transfer agreements with countries outside the Commonwealth, addressing legal and administrative requirements associated with such arrangements.

Prisoner-transfer agreements generally allow convicted individuals to serve the remainder of their sentences in another country under mutually agreed conditions. Such arrangements can also help governments manage the legal and administrative complexities involved in transferring inmates across national borders.

In his communication to the Senate, Tinubu urged lawmakers to give the bill urgent consideration, expressing hope that the proposed amendment would be addressed expeditiously.

The bill was transmitted pursuant to Section 58(2) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended. However, it must undergo the required legislative stages in the National Assembly and receive the necessary approval before it can become law.