By James Ibori
Top Nollywood actress and humanitarian, Queeneth Agbor, has commenced engagements with key stakeholders in Cross River State as part of efforts to mobilise support for her forthcoming charity and empowerment programme for inmates of the Calabar Custodial Centre.
Agbor, through the Queeneth Agbor Strength Beyond Walls Foundation, is scheduled to host the special empowerment and rehabilitation programme for inmates on October 9, 2026.
In preparation for the initiative, the actress embarked on a series of courtesy visits to prominent individuals and institutions in the state, including the First Lady of Cross River State, Bishop Dr Eyoanwan Itam Bassey Otu, government officials, correctional authorities, traditional and community stakeholders, Callywood, media organisations, corporate bodies and potential sponsors, including **SSG Prof Anthony Owan-Enoh**.
The visits, according to Agbor, are aimed at bringing together individuals, government institutions and private organisations to support the initiative and make the intervention more impactful.
During her meeting with the First Lady, Agbor presented the vision behind the programme and sought her support for the planned intervention.
The First Lady commended the actress for her humanitarian efforts and encouraged her to continue using her platform to support people in need.
She also applauded Agbor for taking up humanitarian work at a young age and for extending her efforts to people behind correctional walls.
Agbor also met with the Chairman of Akamkpa Local Government Area, Hon Felix Akposi, as part of her stakeholder engagement ahead of the programme.
Akposi expressed support for the initiative, noting that Agbor had continued to maintain strong ties with her place of origin despite the demands of her career.
He said, “I am particularly impressed that despite the demands of her career, she has created a niche around restoring hope, empowering lives and creating second chances for people behind the walls. This makes Akamkpa proud.”
He added that Agbor’s continued interest in issues affecting her community demonstrated her appreciation for her roots.
“She has not allowed her success to sever her connection with home. Her continued interest in the affairs of her place of origin demonstrates genuine love, appreciation and respect for her roots,” he said.
At the Nigerian Correctional Service, Cross River State, Agbor also held discussions with the Controller of Corrections, Aniekan Archibong Nya, and the Assistant Controller of Corrections in charge of Operations, ACC Gregory Abua.
The correctional authorities commended the foundation for its interest in the welfare and rehabilitation of inmates and encouraged Agbor to sustain the initiative.
Abua said the proposed programme would contribute to boosting the morale of inmates and reinforcing the message of hope and rehabilitation.
He said, “We appreciate the Strength Beyond Walls Foundation for its compassion and willingness to contribute to the transformation of lives behind the walls. We are optimistic that this visit will mark the beginning of a stronger and more impactful partnership between the foundation and the Nigerian Correctional Service in Cross River State.”
Agbor also met with the Commissioner for Welfare, Bishop Margaret Ene Ita, who applauded the initiative and commended the actress for reaching out to people in correctional facilities.
Bishop Ita said, “It is commendable to see Queeneth allowing God to use her to touch lives behind the walls and give people a second chance.”
The actress further engaged the Chairman of Callywood, Mr Eric Anderson, who endorsed the initiative and expressed support for Agbor’s humanitarian efforts.
Anderson commended the actress for making the entertainment industry proud through her commitment to humanitarian causes.
The stakeholder engagements form part of Agbor’s efforts to secure wider support for the October 9 programme, which is expected to go beyond feeding inmates to include empowerment, rehabilitation, talent development and other forms of support.
The initiative follows Agbor’s widely publicised birthday outreach last year, during which she fed about 1,000 inmates at the Ikoyi Custodial Centre in Lagos.
Explaining her decision to bring the initiative to Cross River, Agbor described it as a homecoming and an extension of her belief that charity should begin at home.
She said, “This is more than a birthday celebration for me. It is about bringing hope, dignity and a second chance to people who are behind the walls. People may have made mistakes, but their mistakes should not permanently define their future.”
She called on government institutions, corporate organisations, individuals and other well-meaning Nigerians to support the programme and help make the intervention more impactful.
According to her, the planned programme is intended to demonstrate that people in correctional facilities can still rebuild their lives, develop useful skills and contribute positively to society after incarceration.
Comments
Post a Comment