The Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS) has allocated N14.83 billion in its upcoming 2026 budget proposal to ensure adequate meals for around 91,100 inmates throughout the country, amidst rising concerns about overcrowding in prison facilities, particularly due to a high number of awaiting trial detainees.
This information was revealed by the Controller-General of the NCoS, Sylvester Nwakuche, during a presentation of the agency's 2025 budget outcomes and the 2026 budget estimates to the House of Representatives Committee on Reformatory Institutions in Abuja on Wednesday.
Nwakuche explained that the feeding allocation is based on a daily expenditure of N1,125 for each inmate and constitutes part of a proposed N50.40 billion for recurrent overhead costs for the fiscal year 2026.
The Controller-General indicated that the current demand for feeding reflects the inmate demographic, with awaiting trial inmates representing 64% of the entire prison population in Nigeria.
As of February 9, 2026, the total count of inmates was reported to be 80,812, which included 51,955 awaiting trial, 24,913 convicted, and 3,850 categorized under other forms of detention.
Nwakuche emphasized that the NCoS has a duty to ensure inmates receive proper nutrition consistent with the United Nations Minimum Standard Rules for the Treatment of Offenders, characterizing the responsibility of providing food as both critical and resource-intensive.
Examining the 2025 budget performance, Nwakuche stated that the Service received a total allocation of N184.63 billion. Of this, N27.28 billion (71.7% of the released overhead funds) was utilized for feeding inmates nationwide, while outstanding debts for food provisions amounted to N10.75 billion.
He further reported that the recurrent overhead releases for 2025 achieved a rate of 73.7%, with the final payment for October made in December. Personnel expenses for the same year reached N124.31 billion, of which N112.68 billion (90.6%) was released and fully utilized for salaries, pensions, and health insurance contributions managed under the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).
Operational costs totaled N6.49 billion, covering various needs such as staff training, fuel for operational vehicles, electricity, security services, and facility maintenance.
Nwakuche noted a challenge in executing capital expenditures, as only N3.22 billion of the N14.50 billion budgeted—22.2%—was disbursed, leaving N11.27 billion unallocated for projects across the country.
He articulated that capital funding is vital for the construction and renovation of correctional facilities, purchasing operational vehicles, acquiring security equipment, implementing ICT systems, capturing inmate biometrics, and supporting agricultural initiatives within prison farms.
For the year 2026, Nwakuche presented a total budget proposal of N198.85 billion to include personnel costs, inmate feeding, recurrent overheads, operational expenses, and capital outlays for both custodial and non-custodial services.
Out of this proposed budget, N138.30 billion is allocated specifically for personnel costs to support an expected workforce of 37,541 under four salary structures.
He additionally called for an extra N90.38 billion to enhance capital funding significantly, increasing total capital allocation to approximately N100.50 billion to adequately address persistent infrastructure deficits and capacity issues within correctional facilities.
Nwakuche also made a request for a specific allocation of N37.99 billion to enhance the effective execution of non-custodial measures across Nigeria’s 774 local government areas.
In an earlier statement, Hon. Chinedu Ogah, the chairman of the House Committee on Reformatory Institutions, advocated for immediate reforms in Nigeria's correctional framework, citing issues like chronic underfunding, old infrastructure, and increasing operational requirements such as inmate feeding.
Ogah labeled the Nigeria Correctional Service a critical component of national security, expressing concerns over what he viewed as insufficient budget attention, noting that many correctional centers were established over a century ago and have significantly deteriorated.
"Our primary mandate today is to defend the 2026 budget as proposed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu," Ogah remarked, assuring that the committee will conduct a thorough review of both the Service’s 2025 achievements and its financing necessities for the forthcoming year.
He urged the President to endorse the Correctional Service Trust Fund Bill passed by the National Assembly, reflecting that such legislation would alleviate pressure on federal facilities and enable states to establish their own correctional centers.
Highlighting initiatives to improve educational access for inmates, Ogah noted that about 10 study centers from the National Open University of Nigeria have been established in custodial facilities nationwide, including one at the Abakaliki Correctional Centre that offers free educational programs to the inmates.
While praising correctional personnel for maintaining operations amid challenging circumstances, Ogah committed to finalizing discussions on the 2026 budget following a detailed examination of the Service's submissions.
Comments (0)
You must be logged in to comment.
Be the first to comment on this article!