N14.83bn earmarked to feed over 91,000 inmates in 2026

The Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS) has earmarked N14.83 billion in its 2026 budget proposal to feed an estimated 91,100 inmates nationwide, amid growing pressure on custodial facilities driven largely by a high population of awaiting trial inmates.

Controller-General of the Service, Sylvester Nwakuche, disclosed this on Wednesday while presenting the agency’s 2025 budget performance and 2026 estimates before the House of Representatives Committee on Reformatory Institutions in Abuja.

Nwakuche said the feeding provision is based on a daily rate of N1,125 per inmate and forms part of a proposed N50.40 billion recurrent overhead expenditure in the 2026 fiscal year.

He said the pressure on feeding resources reflects the current inmate population profile, noting that awaiting trial inmates make up 64 per cent of the total custodial population across the country.

He said as of February 9, 2026, the total number of inmates stood at 80,812, out of which 51,955 were awaiting trial, 24,913 were convicted inmates, while 3,850 fell under other detention categories.

The Controller-General stressed that the Service is mandated to provide adequate nutrition to inmates in line with the United Nations Minimum Standard Rules for the Treatment of Offenders, describing inmate feeding as a critical but resource-intensive obligation.

For 2026, the Controller-General presented a total budget proposal of N198.85bn, covering personnel costs, inmate feeding, recurrent overheads, operations and capital expenditure for both custodial and non-custodial services.

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