The Federal Government of Nigeria has approved a 50% increase in the feeding allowance for prisoners, effective August 2024. This decision comes as part of an ongoing effort to tackle soaring food costs and enhance living conditions within correctional facilities across the country.
The Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS) spokesperson, Abubakar Umar, confirmed the increase. He referred to the adjustment as the “first phase” of a broader plan to improve inmate care.
“The inmate feeding allowance has been increased by 50%, effective from August 2024. This is just the beginning of a more comprehensive review,” Umar said.
The spokesperson added that further reviews are expected due to the rising cost of food, indicating that the Federal Government is closely monitoring the situation.
“For 2024, the NCoS has been allocated over N24.4 billion for catering materials and foodstuffs, and the FG has acknowledged the urgency of this issue. More adjustments to the feeding allowance may follow,” he explained.
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The spotlight on inmate feeding intensified after a viral video from the Afokang Custodial Centre in Calabar showed prisoners being served poorly cooked meals. This led to widespread public outrage and a subsequent investigation ordered by the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo.
According to recent figures, Nigeria’s prison system currently holds 84,575 inmates, and inmate welfare has long been a public concern. In December 2023, NCoS Controller General Haliru Nababa revealed that only N750 per day was allocated for each inmate’s feeding, while N800 was spent daily on feeding the service’s dogs. This disparity further fueled calls for reform.
As the Federal Government continues to address these concerns, the latest increase is seen as a crucial step toward ensuring that prisoners receive better treatment and nutrition, amidst growing pressure from the public.
With the feeding allowance hike now in effect, many Nigerians are eager to see how this will impact the overall welfare of inmates and whether future reforms will follow.
