The Federal Capital Territory Command of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has strongly refuted allegations that female inmates across Nigeria are being denied access to menstrual hygiene products, labeling such reports as fundamentally inaccurate.
Official Statement on Prison Welfare
In a detailed statement released on Sunday in Abuja, the Command's Public Relations Officer, DSC Adamu Samson Duza, emphasized that the Service strictly adheres to its mandate and international correctional standards. "Sanitary pads and hygiene materials are distributed to female inmates every month at no cost, and each allocation is properly recorded in welfare registers," he stated categorically.
Duza further explained that all custodial centres maintain healthcare units staffed by qualified medical personnel, including nurses and doctors, who regularly attend to the medical needs of female inmates, including menstrual-related health concerns. "These medical units provide comprehensive consultations, medications, and necessary referrals to external hospitals when specialized treatment becomes necessary," he elaborated.
Support from Civil Society Partners
The NCoS spokesperson highlighted the ongoing support the Service receives from various civil society organizations, faith-based groups, and development partners, who consistently supply sanitary products and conduct menstrual hygiene awareness programs. "A recent donation from the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) represents just one of numerous contributions aimed at enhancing inmate welfare standards," Duza added.
Reiterating the Command's unwavering commitment to humane treatment and preserving the dignity of all inmates, he stressed that the NCoS operates in full compliance with the Nigerian Constitution, the UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (Nelson Mandela Rules), and other relevant international standards.
Budget Analysis Reveals Allocation Gaps
The official statement came as a direct response to an investigative report by The ICIR that exposed shortages of menstrual products in several correctional facilities, including the Suleja prison. The report documented disturbing accounts from inmates who described being forced to improvise with cotton wool, newspapers, or other makeshift materials due to the absence of officially provided sanitary products.
Despite the NCoS maintaining that sanitary materials are routinely supplied, serious concerns persist regarding whether these allocations remain consistent across all correctional facilities. Advocacy groups are urging closer monitoring to ensure female inmates have adequate and reliable access to essential hygiene products.
A thorough examination of national budgets reveals a troubling pattern. Despite billions of naira allocated annually to Nigeria's correctional facilities, female inmates continue to be excluded from direct provision for menstrual hygiene products.
In the 2020/2021 capital budget, authorities earmarked more than ₦1 billion specifically for prison biometric systems, arms, and ammunition, intended to strengthen detection and response capabilities against internal and external threats. However, no dedicated line item addressed the basic biological needs of women in custody.
By 2022, the House of Representatives resolved to investigate deteriorating conditions affecting both staff and inmates, even as the Nigerian Correctional Service received over ₦165 billion in combined allocations across 2020 and 2021. That particular year, the NCoS budget was not separately defined within the ₦287 billion allocated to the Ministry of Interior, creating significant opacity in its spending patterns.
In 2023, the federal government expended ₦22.44 billion on feeding inmates nationwide. The following year, approximately ₦120 billion was allocated to the NCoS, with ₦24.4 billion designated for feeding, ₦4.2 billion for constructing fixed assets, and ₦1.8 billion for establishing new maximum-security custodial centres.
The 2025 national budget continued this established trend, earmarking ₦38.03 billion for inmate feeding out of a total ₦45.2 billion allocated for correctional services. The daily feeding allowance per inmate was increased from ₦750 to ₦1,150 during this period.
Despite these substantial financial allocations across multiple years, sanitary pads and menstrual hygiene products remain conspicuously absent from specific budget lines. Instead, such essential items are buried under broad, non-specific categories like "catering materials" or "healthcare supplies," making it virtually impossible to track actual spending on women's specific biological needs.
