On Thursday, the House of Representatives called on the federal government to increase the daily feeding allowance for inmates of the Nigerian Correctional Service from the current N1,125 to N4,000, citing current market conditions.
The House also urged the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Budget Office to raise the capital allocation for the Nigerian Correctional Service to N30 billion in the 2025 budget to help complete critical ongoing and stalled projects.
This resolution came after Rep. Chinedu Ogah presented a motion during a plenary session, expressing concern over the federal government’s inadequate budget support for the Nigerian Correctional Service, which he argued has hindered its effectiveness.
Ogah pointed out that overcrowding and other issues within correctional facilities have contributed to jailbreaks and various security challenges, which he attributed to the federal government’s failure to provide sufficient funding for proper management.
He noted that the N14 billion allocated for the 2024 capital budget is insufficient for essential expenditures, including the renovation of custodial centers, which cost about N120 million each, and the construction of 3,000-capacity Medium Security Custodial Centres outlined in the budget, among other projects.
The motion was adopted and referred to the House Committees on Reformatory Institutions and Appropriations to ensure adherence to the resolutions.
