The Federal Government is considering a significant increase in the daily feeding allowance for inmates in correctional centres nationwide, raising it from ₦750 to ₦3,000 per day following recommendations from an independent investigative panel.
The recommendation was contained in a report submitted to the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, on June 3, 2026, after an extensive review of conditions and operations within the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS).
The panel, which was constituted in September 2024, was tasked with investigating allegations of corruption, human rights violations, and administrative lapses within correctional facilities across the country.
As part of its assignment, the committee inspected 86 custodial centres in 23 states and the Federal Capital Territory, conducted public hearings, and undertook an international study visit to Türkiye.
According to the report, investigators uncovered widespread concerns about inmate welfare, particularly regarding feeding arrangements.
“The current feeding allocation is inadequate and no longer reflects prevailing economic realities,” the panel stated, recommending an immediate upward review of the daily allowance to improve nutrition and living conditions for inmates.
The report revealed allegations of fund diversion, inflated contracts, and poor management of resources designated for feeding, healthcare, and rehabilitation programmes.
Investigators noted that inadequate budgetary provisions and irregularities in food supply contracts had contributed to cases of malnutrition in several custodial centres.
In one of the findings highlighted in the report, officials who visited the Owerri Correctional Centre in Imo State reportedly observed severe food shortages.
“Food portions available to inmates were grossly inadequate, with limited supplies being stretched among a large prison population,” the panel noted.
The committee also cited reports from Akwa Ibom State, where poor feeding conditions and malnutrition were allegedly linked to inmate deaths.
Further investigations uncovered irregularities in the award and execution of feeding contracts. The panel observed that many contracts were awarded to companies located far from the facilities they were expected to serve, creating opportunities for subcontracting arrangements that undermined service delivery.
According to the report, some contractors allegedly transferred feeding responsibilities to correctional officials at rates significantly below approved government allocations.
“This practice makes it extremely difficult to provide nutritious and sufficient meals for inmates,” the committee said.
The report further alleged that serving and retired correctional officers, politicians, and other influential individuals were involved in the feeding contract process.
Beyond welfare concerns, the panel warned that vested interests linked to supply contracts could be discouraging reforms aimed at reducing prison congestion.
“There appears to be little incentive among some beneficiaries of the existing system to support alternatives to incarceration or expand correctional agricultural programmes that could reduce dependence on external suppliers,” the report stated.
To address the identified challenges, the committee recommended not only the increase in feeding allowances but also the modernization of correctional farm centres to boost food production and reduce reliance on contractors.
The panel expressed confidence that implementing its recommendations would enhance inmate welfare, improve transparency in contract administration, and strengthen ongoing reforms within Nigeria’s correctional system.
If approved by the Federal Government, the proposed increase would represent a fourfold rise in the amount allocated for feeding inmates and could mark one of the most significant welfare reforms in the nation’s correctional system in recent years.
