Nigerian Govt Plans N3,000 Daily Feeding Allowance for Prisoners

The Federal Government is to increase the feeding allowance of inmates in correctional centres across Nigeria from ₦750 to ₦3,000 per day.

This, reports say, comes after the findings of an independent panel that investigated allegations of corruption and human rights abuses in the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS).

It was understands that the recommendation was contained in the panel’s final report submitted to the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo on June 3, 2026.

The report was the result of months of investigations into the operations of correctional facilities throughout the country.

The committee was established in September 2024 to investigate allegations of misbehaviour in the correctional system and to recommend how to enhance its operations.

In the course of its work, the panel visited 86 custodial centres in 23 states and the Federal Capital Territory, held public hearings and undertook a study visit to Türkiye.

The panel’s investigation found that there were poor welfare conditions in a number of correctional facilities and one of the major concerns highlighted was the feeding of inmates.

The report revealed allegations of diversion of funds, inflated contracts and poor management of resources meant for feeding, healthcare and rehabilitation programmes.

In many custodial centres, inadequate feeding budgets and alleged irregularities in food supply arrangements have contributed to malnutrition among inmates, the report stated.

In some of the facilities visited by investigators, the food portions were said to be grossly inadequate.

In Imo State, investigators said food supplies at the Owerri Correctional Centre were severely limited, with small quantities of fish reportedly being shared among several inmates.

The panel was told of deaths in the facility linked to poor feeding conditions and malnutrition in Akwa Ibom State.

The committee also found alleged irregularities in awarding feeding contracts.

Many contracts were awarded to companies located far from the correctional centres they were meant to service, the report found.

The conditions reportedly left room for subcontracting deals, with some contractors passing on responsibilities to officials in charge of the facilities.

The panel also alleged that some serving and retired correctional officers, politicians and other influential people were connected to the feeding contract process.

They discovered that some contractors had shifted the burden of providing meals at well below the rates approved by the government, which made it difficult to offer inmates adequate meals.

Besides the feeding problems, the report raised concerns that some of the practices of the system could be contributing to prison overcrowding.

The panel said some people who benefit from supply contracts may have little incentive to support alternatives to imprisonment or to expand agricultural programmes that could reduce dependence on external food suppliers.

The committee suggested a prompt increase in the feeding allowance to ₦3,000 per inmate daily to address the issues discovered during the probe.

The adjustment would better reflect current economic realities and enhance the quality of meals provided in correctional centres, it said.

The panel also recommended that the government modernise the correctional farm centres, increase food production in custodial facilities and reduce reliance on outside vendors.

It expressed hope that the implementation of its recommendations would enhance inmate welfare, strengthen accountability in contract administration and support ongoing reforms in Nigeria’s correctional system.