The Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has called on the federal government to increase the Sugar Sweetened Beverages (SSB) tax from ₦10 per litre to at least ₦130 per litre.
It added that this would reduce consumption and push manufacturers to reformulate their products
Its Executive Director, Akinbode Oluwafemi stated this on Tuesday in Abuja at the media roundtable on SSB tax, warning that Nigeria was in the throes of a public health crisis with the excessive consumption of unhealthy diets, particularly Sugar Sweetened Beverages (SSB).
He said a more robust SSB tax would reduce the consumption of sugar-laden drinks, lower the incidence of preventable illnesses, and improve national health outcomes.
Oluwafemi added that it also offers a practical way to expand Nigeria’s fiscal space without increasing broad-based taxes.
He emphasised that 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 stated: “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.”
The Executive Director said 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 said a recent investigation by a leading national daily revealed that Nigerians spend an estimated ₦1.92 trillion annually on healthcare related to these preventable conditions.
He added: “Increase the SSB tax so that it raises the final retail price of sugary drinks by 20 or 30 percent — or ideally 50 per cent, 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 feedingpL programmes.”