Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Gabriel Osa
ABUJA — Nigeria’s correctional system is under acute strain from overcrowding and outdated infrastructure, the Controller-General of the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS), Sylvester Nwakuche, has told a House of Representatives committee, revealing that an escalating proportion of the country’s inmates are awaiting trial. The disclosure came as the Service pressed lawmakers for increased funding and support for legislative reforms to address systemic deficiencies.
While presenting the NCoS’s 2025 budget performance review and 2026 budget estimates before the House Committee on Reformatory Institutions in Abuja on Wednesday, February 11, 2026, Nwakuche drew attention to rising detainee numbers and the heavy burden they place on correctional facilities nationwide. As of February 9, 2026, the total inmate population across Nigeria’s custodial institutions stood at 80,812, a figure that far exceeds the capacity of many facilities.
Of that total, 51,955 inmates — 64 percent of the population — were categorized as awaiting trial, Nwakuche said. Convicted prisoners accounted for 24,913 individuals, while 3,850 inmates were held under other detention categories, such as debtors or those detained for administrative reasons. The high proportion of pretrial detainees highlights longstanding concerns about delays in the criminal justice process, case backlogs in courts, and gaps in legal representation for indigent suspects.
“We have a system that was never designed to hold such numbers,” Nwakuche said during his testimony. “Our facilities are congested, our infrastructure is ageing, and the situation is compounding security, humanitarian and operational challenges for the Service.”
The statistics presented underscore a trend that analysts and human rights advocates have repeatedly flagged: Nigeria’s custodial population has been growing faster than investments in correctional capacity or reforms in due process. Experts argue that extended pretrial detention not only violates international standards on the presumption of innocence and the right to a fair, speedy trial, but also contributes to heightened tensions, health risks and diminished rehabilitative outcomes for detainees.
To tackle these challenges, the Nigeria Correctional Service is seeking an allocation of ₦198.85 billion for its 2026 operations, an increase that Nwakuche said is critical for expanding facility capacity, improving living conditions, and enhancing the Service’s ability to deliver effective custody and correctional programmes. The requested funding reflects the cost pressures of maintaining existing infrastructure, bolstering security, and extending rehabilitative and reintegration services.
The NCoS head noted that many of the country’s correctional facilities were built during the colonial era, with some structures over a century old and badly in need of renovation or replacement. “These buildings are crumbling,” Nwakuche told the committee. “They were not designed for modern custodial standards and are clearly inadequate for current demands.”
Chinedu Ogah, Chairman of the House Committee on Reformatory Institutions, acknowledged the gravity of the situation and urged lawmakers and relevant stakeholders to prioritise comprehensive reforms. Ogah emphasised the need for both increased funding and presidential assent to the Correctional Service Trust Fund Bill, legislation intended to establish a dedicated financing mechanism for correctional infrastructure and programmes.
Describing the Nigeria Correctional Service as “central to national security,” Ogah said chronic underfunding has hampered the Service’s capacity to fulfil its mandate. He noted that deterioration of facilities contributes to recurring security breaches, including escapes and riots, and places additional pressure on security forces tasked with custody management.
“The correctional system must be strengthened — not just in terms of facilities but also in legal and institutional frameworks,” Ogah told reporters after the session. “We cannot continue to operate in a reactive mode; we need strategic investment and reforms that prioritise decongestion, humane detention conditions, and rehabilitation.”
The Committee’s appeal for presidential assent to the Correctional Service Trust Fund Bill reflects wider consensus among criminal justice stakeholders that innovative financing mechanisms could help bridge chronic budget shortfalls. If enacted, the Trust Fund would provide a stable financial base to support construction, technology upgrades, training and programmes aimed at reducing recidivism.
Civil society organisations and legal reform advocates have long called for measures to reduce the reliance on pretrial detention, including expanded use of bail, plea bargaining, and alternative dispute resolution mechanisms to expedite case disposition and reduce the number of low-risk suspects held in custody. Human rights groups have also urged improvements in access to legal counsel for detainees who cannot afford private lawyers, a gap that is seen as a significant contributor to prolonged custody.
Nigeria’s prison population dynamics have broader implications for human rights and public safety, particularly in the context of a justice system facing challenges of underfunding, limited judicial capacity, and procedural delays. International guidelines, such as the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (the Nelson Mandela Rules), recommend that detention should be used sparingly and that pretrial detention should be as brief as possible, principles that reform advocates say Nigeria should more fully incorporate.
The NCoS’s 2026 budget presentation in Abuja is likely to be followed by further deliberations in the National Assembly, where lawmakers will consider the agency’s funding request and the urgency of passing related reforms. If approved, increased allocations and new statutory support could pave the way for targeted interventions aimed at decongesting custodial centres, modernising facilities, and strengthening judicial processes that contribute to prolonged detentions.
For now, the figures released by the Correctional Service paint a stark picture of an overstretched system grappling with structural constraints and rising expectations for reform. As Nigeria continues to chart its course for justice and security, stakeholders across government, civil society and the legal community face mounting pressure to translate policy commitments into tangible changes that respect due process and uphold human dignity.
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