The Federal Capital Territory Command of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has dismissed reports alleging that female inmates nationwide are being denied menstrual hygiene products, insisting the claims are inaccurate and misleading.
In a statement released on Sunday in Abuja, the Command’s spokesperson, DSC Adamu Samson Duza, said the Service remains committed to its mandate and international correctional standards. He explained that sanitary pads and other hygiene supplies are issued monthly, free of charge, with each distribution logged in welfare registers.
Duza noted that all custodial facilities are equipped with healthcare units staffed by qualified nurses and doctors who attend to female inmates’ medical needs, including menstrual-related concerns. These clinics, he said, provide consultations, medicines, and referrals to external hospitals where specialist care is required.
He added that the Service also receives steady support from civil society groups, faith-based organisations, and development partners who donate sanitary products and run menstrual hygiene awareness campaigns. A recent contribution from the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), he said, is among several aimed at boosting inmate welfare.
Reaffirming the NCoS’s commitment to humane treatment, Duza stressed that the Service operates in line with the Nigerian Constitution and the UN’s Nelson Mandela Rules for the treatment of prisoners.
The statement came in response to an investigative report by The ICIR, which highlighted shortages of sanitary pads in some facilities, including Suleja, where inmates claimed they were often forced to improvise with cotton wool, newspapers, or other makeshift materials. While the NCoS insists monthly provisions are made, campaigners argue that inconsistent distribution across facilities remains a pressing concern.
Billions for Prisons, Nothing for Pads
Despite billions of naira allocated annually to Nigeria’s correctional system, there has been no direct, trackable budget line for menstrual hygiene products for female inmates.
In the 2020/2021 capital budget, over ₦1 billion was marked for biometrics, arms, and ammunition to bolster security. Yet, the basic needs of women in custody were not captured. By 2022, the House of Representatives moved to probe worsening conditions for staff and inmates, even as the NCoS received more than ₦165 billion across 2020 and 2021. That same year, the Service’s budget was lumped under the Ministry of Interior’s ₦287 billion allocation, making its internal spending even harder to trace.
In 2023, the federal government spent ₦22.44 billion feeding inmates. The following year, roughly ₦120 billion went to the NCoS, with ₦24.4 billion set aside for feeding, ₦4.2 billion for fixed assets, and ₦1.8 billion for new maximum-security centres.
The 2025 budget continued the focus on feeding, with ₦38.03 billion allocated out of a total ₦45.2 billion for correctional services. The daily feeding allowance per inmate was increased from ₦750 to ₦1,150.
Yet throughout these years of heavy spending, sanitary pads and menstrual products remain unlisted as standalone items. Instead, they are folded into broad categories such as “catering materials” or “healthcare supplies”, making it virtually impossible to track what—if anything—is spent directly on women’s hygiene needs.
Advocates say this lack of transparency keeps female inmates vulnerable, and they are urging a clear, dedicated budget line to end dependency on donations and ensure consistent access across all correctional centres.
