Inmates Allege Hunger and Poor Food in Nigeria’s Correctional Centres

Former and current inmates have alleged that poor food quality, inadequate portions and overcrowding are worsening conditions in Nigerian correctional centres. Some said they had to rely on money or food from relatives, NGOs and informal cooking arrangements to avoid hunger. At Kirikiri Correctional Centre in Lagos, former inmates described meals as poorly prepared and nutritionally inadequate. They alleged that beans often contain stones, rice is sometimes undercooked, and meals are stretched with water to serve large populations. Some inmates also linked the food to stomach pain, diarrhoea, weakness and malnutrition. Nigeria's correctional facilities hold more than 80,000 inmates, with about 65 per cent awaiting trial, according to official data. Although the Federal Government reportedly increased the daily feeding allowance per inmate to ₦1,500, inmates claim the improvement has not been felt in meal quality or quantity. Some inmates further alleged that food supplies are diverted or resold within the system. Prison authorities have denied the claims and defended the feeding arrangement, but the accounts renew concerns about oversight, funding and inmate welfare.

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