The Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has once again warned the government and the people of Nigeria about the health danger inherent in the excessive consumption of Sugar Sweetened Beverage (SSB).
Akinbode Oluwafemi, Executive Director of CAPPA said during a media roundtable on SSB held in Abuja on Tuesday that the organisation is being driven by its patriotic concerns to be in the forefront of campaign for Nigeria’s Sugar Sweetened Beverage (SSB) tax in order to save public health.
Oluwafemi told journalists who attended the media roundtable both virtually and on zoom that “Our country is under attack; Nigeria is in the throes of a public health crisis, a ticking time bomb driven by the excessive consumption of unhealthy diets, particularly SSBs. These sugar-sweetened beverages, popularly known as soft drinks and their likes, are killing us slowly, turning our streets into graveyards and our hospitals into crowded waiting rooms.
“According to scientific and medical evidence, they are directly fueling the explosive rise in non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including the slump and die trend we are currently witnessing across various parts of the country.”
Oluwafemi recalled that “not too long ago, conditions like diabetes, hypertension, stroke, heart diseases, and obesity were all rare and described as afflictions of big men and women. Today, they are snatching our fathers, crippling our mothers, sending young people to early graves, and draining the life savings of entire families.
“According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), NCDs now account for 1 in 3 deaths in Nigeria. They are no longer the diseases of the rich or the elderly; they are aggressively decimating our workforce, destabilising our families, and undermining national productivity.
“A recent investigation by a leading national daily revealed that Nigerians spend an estimated ₦1.92 trillion ($1.26 billion) annually on healthcare related to these preventable conditions. Families are forced to sell land, liquidate lifelong savings, and descend into absolute poverty in desperate bids to save loved ones. Mothers who should be growing small businesses or mentoring children are instead chained to hospital wards as unpaid, invisible caregivers.
“Fellow Nigerians, this crisis has outgrown mere health concerns. It is now a full-blown social and economic catastrophe. Inaction will only cost us more. Prevention is not only cheaper but also smarter.”
He revealed that there has been deliberate ploy by the industry actors to undermine the campaign for the increase of SSB tax. He said they have been misleading the nation that CAPPA is campaign for increase on sugar tax.
“At this juncture, we must make an important clarification. There is a deliberate plot by industry actors to mislabel the SSB tax as “sugar tax.” They do this intentionally to create confusion and weaken public support. What Nigerian is currently implementing is called SSB tax, not sugar tax. Nigeria’s SSB tax specifically targets sugary drinks, which are major contributors to excess sugar intake. This rhetorical manipulation exemplifies the classic “confuse, divide, and conquer” strategy we have come to know the industry by.”
He also warned that the country may soon become a dumping ground for unregulated, sugar-saturated drinks.
He said: “Beyond the tax debate is also another dangerous threat: without stricter measures, Nigeria risks becoming a global dumping ground for unregulated, sugar-saturated drinks. Industry data shows Nigeria already leads the African market for soft drinks, boasting a staggering 53 billion litres in sales just last year, that is in 2024.
“At the 2025 Food and Beverage West Africa exhibition event in Lagos, we observed deeply disturbing scenes. Foreign sugary and energy drinks, many without proper labels, were boldly displayed everywhere. Their sponsors claimed they had “regulatory approval,” but our investigations and official queries have now revealed this to be false. Even more shocking, they told interested wholesalers and observers they could rebrand these drinks however they liked — meaning anyone could slap any name or label on them and sell them to the public. This is reckless and dangerous. Nigerians deserve to know exactly what they are consuming. This is why we are also demanding mandatory front-of-pack labelling regulations on these products”.
What then is the way forward?
Oluwafemi said that inasmuch as public health is national security, an urgent and non-negotiable imperative action.
“At a time when Nigeria is grappling with a double burden of health emergencies and tightening public finances, a well-designed and efficiently implemented SSB tax offers a low-cost, high-impact solution with broad benefits. It can reduce diet-related diseases, ease pressure on overstretched health systems, and generate much-needed domestic revenue.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in his “Renewed Hope 2023: Action Plan for a Better Nigeria” manifesto, promised to deploy consumption taxes to “deter behaviour that undermines individual and community health.” Today, the President has a clear opportunity to strengthen the SSB tax and ensure its transparent implementation as part of his duty to protect the health and future of all Nigerians.
“At ₦10 per litre, the current SSB tax rate amounts to just 1 percent of the average retail price, which is at least ₦1,000 per litre of sugary drinks sold in the country. This is too minimal to influence consumer behaviour.
“According to global best practices and the World Health Organisation (WHO), effective health taxes should lead to at least a 25 percent increase in the retail price of sugary drinks.
“Just last week, the WHO advised Nigeria and other member countries to raise the prices of alcohol and tobacco by 50 percent through taxation over the next 10 years to help curb rising NCDs.
“Similarly, Bloomberg’s Taskforce on Fiscal Policy for Health, which includes Nigeria’s Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, also recommends a 50 percent price increase to reduce consumption and prevent NCDs.
“Beyond health concerns, Nigeria is missing out on valuable revenue. A stronger and better-structured SSB tax has the potential to generate over ₦200 billion each year.
These funds could directly support Nigeria’s goal of increased healthcare financing, including the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund, the National Health Insurance Authority, and school feeding programmes — helping to build a healthier and more equitable society. Other countries have shown what is possible when governments take bold action. South Africa, Mexico, and the United Kingdom have all raised their SSB taxes significantly. In each case, consumption declined while jobs and revenue were protected. Nigeria must follow suit. The moment to act is now.”
According to the CAPPA boss, an improved SSB Tax is the way forward.
CAPPA wants the Nigerian government to increase the SSB tax so that it raises the final retail price of sugary drinks by 20 or 30 percent — or ideally 50 percent, in line with WHO recommendations. Specifically, we are calling on the Nigerian government to increase the SSB tax from ₦10 per litre to at least ₦130 per litre. This will reduce consumption and push manufacturers to reformulate their products.
“Earmark revenue for healthcare, NCD prevention, nutrition education, basic health services in underserved communities, and school feeding programmes.
“Mandate transparent front-of-pack labelling on all food and beverage products, so Nigerians know what they consume.
“Require annual public reporting by the Federal Inland Revenue Service, Nigeria Customs Service, and the Ministries of Finance and Health to ensure accountability.
“Establish a strong firewall against industry interference. Policies must serve the people, not corporate profits.
“Invest resources in food security and agroecology. By supporting the cultivation of real and nutritious food, we can strengthen local food systems, improve public health, and reduce the dangerous dependence of Nigerians on ultra-processed products.
“A more robust SSB tax will reduce the consumption of sugar-laden drinks, lower the incidence of preventable illnesses, and improve national health outcomes. It also offers a practical way to expand Nigeria’s fiscal space without increasing broad-based taxes. At a time when oil revenues are volatile and public financing needs are growing, modifying consumption habits while raising domestic resources is both efficient and equitable,” Oluwafemi said.
