Nigerian Correctional Service launches nationwide inmate drug distribution and health‑insurance enrollment

The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) flagged off the second‑quarter 2026 nationwide distribution of essential medicines and other medicaments to all custodial centres across the country. Controller‑General Sylvester Ndidi Nwakuche said the exercise is part of a broader healthcare reform agenda aimed at strengthening medical services, reducing disease burden, improving mental‑health support and enhancing inmate rehabilitation.

At the flag‑off ceremony NCoS also announced that discussions are at an advanced stage to enrol inmates in the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), with some states already having done so. Nwakuche said the goal is nationwide coverage under the National Health Insurance Authority framework, providing sustainable access to quality health care for prisoners, especially vulnerable female inmates for whom menstrual hygiene and other gender‑specific needs are being prioritised. Assistant Controller‑General Glory Essien described the drug distribution as a major milestone for preventing communicable disease outbreaks in prisons.

The initiative reflects NCoS’s commitment to improving inmate health, dignity and reintegration prospects while aligning with the Nigerian Correctional Service Act of 2019.