The Federal Government is set to increase the feeding allowance of inmates in correctional centres in Nigeria from N750 to N3,000 per day.
This, according to reports, follows the findings of an independent panel that investigated allegations of corruption and human rights abuses in the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS).
It was understood 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 followed months of investigations into the operations of correctional facilities throughout the country.
The committee was set up in September 2024 to investigate allegations of misbehaviour in the correctional system and recommend how to enhance its operations.
The panel visited 86 custodial centres in 23 states and the Federal Capital Territory, held public hearings and undertook a study visit to Türkiye in the course of its work.
The investigation by the panel found poor welfare conditions in several correctional facilities and inmate feeding was highlighted as one of the major concerns.
The report revealed allegations of diversion of funds, inflated contracts and poor management of resources meant for feeding, health care and rehabilitation programmes.
Inadequate feeding budgets and alleged irregularities in food supply arrangements have contributed to malnutrition among inmates in many custodial centres, the report stated.
The food portions, in some of the facilities visited by investigators, were said to be grossly inadequate.
Investigators said that in Imo State, food supplies at the Owerri Correctional Centre were severely limited, with small quantities of fish being reportedly shared among several inmates.
The panel received reports of deaths in the facility linked to poor feeding conditions and malnutrition in Akwa Ibom State.
The committee also found alleged irregularities in the awarding of feeding contracts.
The report found that many contracts were awarded to companies located far from the correctional centres they were supposed to serve.
The conditions reportedly left space for subcontracting deals, with some contractors passing responsibilities to officials in charge of the facilities.
Some serving and retired correctional officers, politicians and other influential people have also been linked to the feeding contract process, the panel alleged.
Investigators learned that some contractors transferred the responsibility for providing meals at well below the rates approved by the government, which made it difficult to provide inmates with adequate meals.
Besides the feeding problems, the report raised concerns that some of the practices of the system might be contributing to prison overcrowding.
The panel said some individuals benefiting from supply contracts could have little motivation to support alternatives to imprisonment or to expand agricultural programmes capable of reducing dependence on external food suppliers.
To solve the problems identified during the investigation, the committee recommended an immediate rise in the feeding allowance to ₦3,000 per inmate per day.
It said the adjustment would better reflect current economic realities and enhance the quality of meals provided in correctional centres.
The panel also recommended that the government modernise 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.
