The Nigerian government through the Correctional Service has disclosed that there will be an increment in the money earmarked for the feeding of inmates nationwide.
This was revealed by the spokesperson for the Nasarawa State (NCoS) Command, Stephen Abene who said the increment would be reflected in the proposed 2025 budget.
Abene explained that the adjustment aimed to align with current economic realities.
He said the increase to N1150 per day from N750 was a government-approved measure to improve inmate welfare and address nutritional concerns.
“The government recently approved N1150 for feeding per inmate from N750, which will be captured in the 2025 budget. This upward review is to meet up with the present economic reality,” he said.
Recall that concerned Nigerians and institutions had been lending their voices towards the calls for the increment of inmates’ feeding allowances after NCoS Controller General, Haliru Nababa, disclosed that the prisoner’s food allowance was N750 per day.
But the daily allocation for each of the 900 dogs maintained by the service was N800.
Recently a viral video also emerged from the Afokang Custodial Centre in Calabar showing poorly prepared meals being served to the inmates.
However the daily allocation for each of the 900 dogs maintained by the service was N800.
The NCoS had then stated that what was seen in the video did not reflect the general standard of care across facilities but added that an investigation would be carried out.
Most recently, a report claimed that 12 inmates at the Keffi Medium Security Custodial Centre in Nasarawa State died in September 2024 from an illness linked to inadequate nutrition.