Celebrating a Legacy of Leadership in Nigeria

Following a celebration held in his honor on 8 November, Benson Iwuagwu, Executive Director of Prison Fellowship Nigeria (PFN), formally retired. A gallant son of the soil, a visionary, a strategist and a true legend, Benson has been the ED of PFN since its’ founding in 1989. While his accomplishments are many, just in the last ten years he and his team have made a significant impact on the lives of prisoners, their families and the overall criminal justice system in Nigeria:

  • Expanded Prison Fellowship Nigeria’s national access to 160 out of approximately 240 prisons, largely through expansion of The Prisoner’s Journey (TPJ) program, giving them a market penetration of 33%.
  • Expanded PF Nigeria program and service offerings to more than 11 different prisoner, family and victim-engagement activities.
  • Launched, and grew The Prisoner’s Journey from eight to 80 prisons, and to over 23,000 graduates in 2024. In total, there have been 89,000 TPJ graduates in Nigeria over ten years – the highest total of any nation.
  • Signed program partnerships for Sycamore Tree Project (STP), PromisePath (PrP) and The Listener’s Way (TLW), on top of Prison Fellowship Nigeria’s immense success with The Prisoner’s Journey. Impact of these three programs is to the tune of nearly 30,000 beneficiaries.
  • Partnered with the Nigeria Correctional Services and demonstrated PFI programs as behavioral modification, pushing for a Prison Fellowship Nigeria/Nigeria Correctional Services/PFI partnership which saw Nigerian correctional officers and chaplains trained on TPJ and STP.
  • Significantly increased church partnerships and volunteers; with more than 3,000 active volunteers serving across the country.

His list of achievements is extensive, with a standout accomplishment being his recent success of securing a major grant to support the reintegration of former prisoners and advance restorative justice initiatives.

Together, we celebrate Benson as he retires at the pinnacle of his journey, leaving a legacy of excellence. His foresight in securing a successor a year in advance ensured a seamless transition, embodying true leadership and a graceful passing of the baton.

We celebrate you, our brother – wise yet humble!

A few PromisePath children also attended the ceremony. Watch one child share about the impact that Benson has had on Prison Fellowship Nigeria and express gratitude for the support that Prison Fellowship International has provided.