By Rabiu Sanusi
The Executive Director of Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), Akinbode Oluwafemi, has sounded a strong warning over the growing public health crisis in Nigeria, attributing nearly 30% of deaths in the country to non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
Speaking in Kano during a specialized journalism training on the Sugar-Sweetened Beverage (SSB) Tax and Industry Monitoring, Oluwafemi revealed that Nigerians—especially children and youth—are being targeted by food corporations using aggressive marketing to push ultra-processed and sugar-laden products.
“Diseases once considered rare are now household names,” he said, adding that this wave of lifestyle-related ailments is draining family income, overwhelming healthcare facilities, and threatening future generations.
In response, the Federal Government introduced a ₦10 per litre SSB tax in 2021 to curb consumption of sugary drinks. However, Oluwafemi lamented the low tax rate’s ineffectiveness and criticised the beverage industry’s misinformation campaigns and lack of transparency in tax fund usage.
He stressed the media’s role in reversing the trend, urging journalists to expose industry tactics and hold both corporations and policymakers accountable through accurate, engaging, and investigative reporting.
Also speaking at the event, Dr. Dorothy Amadi, Deputy Director of Risk Factors at the Federal Ministry of Health, and Joy Amafah from the Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI), hailed the training as timely, describing journalists as crucial allies in promoting public health.
“The media is not just a messenger—it’s a catalyst for change,” Oluwafemi declared.
About The Author
