Nigeria losing over N200b annually from failure to properly tax SSB – CAPPA

The Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has revealed that a whopping ₦200 billion is being lost annually from ineffective implementation of the Sugar-Sweetened Beverages (SSB) tax.

Speaking at a media roundtable on Tuesday, CAPPA’s Executive Director, Akinbode Oluwafemi, said the lost revenue could fund critical programmes such as the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund, the National Health Insurance Authority, and school feeding initiatives significantly improving healthcare access and equity in the country.

Oluwafemi emphasised the urgent need to curb the rising public addiction to sugary drinks and address the growing prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). He called on President Bola Tinubu to fulfil his campaign promises by increasing consumption taxes on health-harming products.

He urged the government to raise the current SSB tax from ₦10 per litre to at least ₦130 per litre to reduce consumption and encourage product reformulation by manufacturers.

“This is a public health crisis. Sugar-sweetened beverages are killing us slowly. Our streets are becoming graveyards, and our hospitals are overwhelmed,” Oluwafemi warned.

Citing World Health Organisation (WHO) statistics, he noted that NCDs now account for one in every three deaths in Nigeria, adding that once considered “diseases of the rich,” conditions like diabetes, hypertension, and stroke are now claiming lives across all age groups and social classes.

He said, “Families are selling off properties and draining their life savings just to treat preventable illnesses. This is pushing millions further into poverty. A more robust SSB tax will not only deter excessive consumption but also save lives and boost national productivity.”

Oluwafemi advocated mandatory front-of-pack labelling for all food and beverage products, to enable consumers to make informed choices about their health. He further called for annual public reports from the Federal Inland Revenue Service, the Nigeria Customs Service, and the Ministries of Finance and Health to ensure transparency in tax implementation.

He remarked further that strengthening the SSB tax policy presents a practical, non-inflationary route to improve public health and expand Nigeria’s fiscal space.