The National Coalition on Sugar-Sweetened Beverages (SSB) tax has lamented that SSB industries are undermining public health for profits.
The Executive Director of Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), Akinbode Oluwafumi, stated this at a press conference on Thursday in Abuja.
He explained that SSB tax is a public health intervention, a nudge towards healthier choices, a disincentive to the excessive consumption of sugar.
Oluwafemi said studies have shown that a 10 per cent SSB tax could lead to a significant decrease in consumption, particularly among low-income communities disproportionately affected by sugary drinks.
He pointed out that the economic burden of treating chronic diseases far outweighs the tax revenue.
The executive director noted that for years, the sugar-sweetened beverages industry has painted a picture of sugary drinks as innocent pleasures, saying behind the vibrant colours and catchy jingles lies a grim reality.
Oluwafemi noted: “We are at a point where the sugary lure of profit clashes with the very essence of our well- being our health
“SSBS are laden with empty calories, fuelling a public health crisis of diabetes, obesity, and heart disease. The statistics are sobering: one in ten Nigerians now live with diabetes, placing a crippling burden on individuals and Nigeria healthcare system.”
He added the manufacturing industry actively targets children and youths, bombarding them with sugary advertising and social activities, normalising unhealthy habits at a crucial stage in their development.
According to him, This predatory marketing exploits the vulnerability of young minds, shaping preferences that echo for years. The consequences are far-reaching as diabetes and its complications steal years of healthy life, erode productivity, and strain resources, leaving families shattered and futures uncertain.
Oluwafemi noted that amidst the festive cheer, the SSB industry drowns out public health concerns with a deafening roar of misinformation.
He added: “They blame personal responsibility. They ignore their aggressive marketing tactics that target the most vulnerable: children and low-income communities.
“While families come together for festive gatherings, the SSB industry feasts on obscene profits, built on the backs of collective health. These producers annually especially during festive seasons incorporate corporate activities like festivals, awards and sponsoring popular events, as a way of promoting their unhealthy products.
“The intense greenwashing including cleaning up of shoreline, provision of motorised borehole, different paid awards, and posturing as helpers of communities. They are cleaning the shoreline of plastic wastes they created, providing water for communities they have used up and contaminated their water. All these are done to distract the people from the health dangers. they are inflicting on the population.”
Oluwafemi stressed that it was important to note that as Nigerians, everyone must choose public health over corporate greed and advocate for an increase in the current N10/ litre tax on these unhealthy drinks which began implementation in June 2022, demonstrably proven to reduce consumption by up to 20 per cent in over 100 countries that have already implemented the tax.