15 years of overcrowding: How Nigeria’s prisons have exceeded their capacity (2011-2025*)

15 years of overcrowding: How Nigeria’s prisons have exceeded their capacity (2011-2025*)

2011
Inmate population: 49,481
Correctional centres capacity: 47,286
Prisons overcrowding: 2,195

2012
Inmate population: 52,136
Correctional centres capacity: 47,286… pic.twitter.com/8WO5cYQEoR

— TheCableIndex (@thecableindex) January 14, 2026

15 years of overcrowding: How Nigeria’s prisons have exceeded their capacity (2011-2025*)

2011
Inmate population: 49,481
Correctional centres capacity: 47,286
Prisons overcrowding: 2,195

2012
Inmate population: 52,136
Correctional centres capacity: 47,286
Prisons overcrowding: 4,850

2013
Inmate population: 55,173
Correctional centres capacity: 47,646
Prisons overcrowding: 7,527

2014
Inmate population: 56,059
Correctional centres capacity: 49,825
Prisons overcrowding: 6,234

2015
Inmate population: 65,033
Correctional centres capacity: 49,965
Prisons overcrowding: 15,068

2016
Inmate population: 68,686
Correctional centres capacity: 50,803
Prisons overcrowding: 17,883

2017
Inmate population: 69,946
Correctional centres capacity: 53,752
Prisons overcrowding: 16,194

2018
Inmate population: 73,652
Correctional centres capacity: 53,754
Prisons overcrowding: 18,898

2019
Inmate population: 72,225
Correctional centres capacity: 58,278
Prisons overcrowding: 13,947

2020
Inmate population: 65,198
Correctional centres capacity: 58,346
Prisons overcrowding: 6,852

2021
Inmate population: 70,186
Correctional centres capacity: 58,448
Prisons overcrowding: 11,738

2022
Inmate population: 73,617
Correctional centres capacity: 58,509
Prisons overcrowding: 15,108

2023
Inmate population: 76,696
Correctional centres capacity: 64,192
Prisons overcrowding: 12,504

2024
Inmate population: 78,893
Correctional centres capacity: 65,035
Prisons overcrowding: 13,858

2025*
Inmate population: 81,710
Correctional centres capacity: 65,035
Prisons overcrowding: 16,675

*as at Q2 2025

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