The Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has renewed its call for a substantial increase in Nigeria’s Sugar-Sweetened Beverage (SSB) tax, urging the Federal Government to raise the current ₦10 per litre rate to at least ₦130.
According to the group, a stronger SSB tax would help curb Nigeria’s rising burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and generate over ₦200 billion annually in revenue for critical health and social interventions.
Speaking during a media roundtable in Abuja, CAPPA’s Executive Director, Akinbode Oluwafemi, said the urgency of the tax review cannot be overstated given the renewed spread of industry-sponsored misinformation through creative advertisements and faceless platforms.
He specifically cited Think Business Africa, a newly surfaced entity, which he described as “unregistered with Nigerian corporate authorities, with no credible or verifiable record in public health advocacy,” labelling it a “shameless propaganda machine for its paymasters.”
“On what authority, then, does it seek to undermine evidence-based policy designed to save Nigerian lives? The answer is simple, profit,” Oluwafemi said.
He dismissed claims that CAPPA’s push for a higher tax lacked evidence, noting instead that the current tax is simply too weak to influence behaviour.
“This is like applying a drop of water to quench a raging fire. Without meaningful price impact, we cannot expect meaningful consumption changes,” he said.
He explained the existing ₦10/litre excise duty introduced in 2021 accounts for less than 1% of today’s retail price of sugary drinks, compared to the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) recommendation that taxes should raise prices by at least 20–50% to impact consumption.
Addressing the argument that the SSB tax would hurt jobs, Oluwafemi cited South Africa as an example where similar fears proved unfounded.
“The sector remained stable, and jobs were protected. What is so wrong with reformulating these products to make them healthy and safe for their consumers?
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“Industrial development that thrives on human sickness is not development; it is vampirism,” he stressed, warning that companies must not prioritize profit over public health.
On data integrity, CAPPA insisted its advocacy is grounded in robust, peer-reviewed research, including its simulation on fiscal health benefits of SSB taxation and the Junk on Our Plates report, which documented how sugary products are aggressively marketed to Nigerian youths.
CAPPA also debunked claims that per capita sugar consumption in Nigeria is too low to justify a higher tax, stating that national averages conceal alarming consumption patterns among urban adolescents.
He called on the government to earmark tax revenues for healthcare, nutrition education, NCD prevention, and school feeding programmes, particularly in underserved areas. CAPPA also demanded transparent front-of-pack food labelling and annual public reporting by the Federal Inland Revenue Service, the Nigeria Customs Service, and the Ministries of Finance and Health to promote accountability.
“We need stronger oversight, not policy abandonment. These products are killing Nigerians every day,” Oluwafemi said.
On industry-backed calls for voluntary interventions such as nutrition education, he said, “You cannot talk about a comprehensive approach while undermining one of its strongest pillars. Taxation works. It reduces consumption and funds complementary solutions.”
He also rejected accusations that the SSB tax is a foreign idea imposed on Nigeria, noting, “The SSB tax is not an imported idea. It is a homegrown necessity,” he said.
Calling the government to action, he said, “Why should we settle for less when the evidence is overwhelming that stronger action will save lives? Nigeria cannot afford the cost of delay. The time to act is now.
“A stronger SSB tax will save lives, ease the pressure on our fragile health system, and generate much-needed revenue to build a healthier, more prosperous nation.
“Let us choose health over profit. Let us choose the future over the past.”