Sugar ‘crisis’: Analyst warns FG against punitive taxes

A Lagos-based public affairs analyst, Omonaye Okoro, has cautioned the federal government against what he called punitive taxes following the current debate on the call for increased taxation on Sugar-Sweetened Beverages (SSBs). Led by internationally funded advocates such as the Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), some analysts have argued that taxing SSBs will […]

A Lagos-based public affairs analyst, Omonaye Okoro, has cautioned the federal government against what he called punitive taxes following the current debate on the call for increased taxation on Sugar-Sweetened Beverages (SSBs).

Led by internationally funded advocates such as the Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), some analysts have argued that taxing SSBs will reduce non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like obesity and diabetes.

In his opinion piece titled “Nigeria’s Sugar “Crisis” Is a Myth – And Our Economy May Pay the Price for Believing It,” Okoro noted that the CAPPA’s recent report, “Junk on Our Plates,” attempted to portray the tax hike as a bold step toward public health reform.

He noted that the report’s recommendations revealed a “deep misunderstanding of the socioeconomic dynamics” shaping food and beverage consumption in Nigeria.

According to him, while the conversation about improving public health is important and should be encouraged, it must also be balanced, inclusive and fact-based—not rooted in imported narratives or incomplete data.

“According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the safe limit for sugar consumption is about 25 grams (approximately 6 teaspoons) per day for an adult. In Nigeria, per capita sugar consumption is roughly 8 kilograms per year, which translates to about 21 grams per day—well within the recommended safe limits.

“This suggests that Nigeria does not have a sugar overconsumption crisis. In contrast, countries like the United States consume over 68 kilograms per capita annually, more than eight times Nigeria’s consumption levels,” he said.

He argued that if most Nigerians “are not consuming excessive sugar, who exactly is suffering from obesity and NCDs attributed to SSBs?”

The analyst emphasised the need for Nigerians to begin to broaden the health conversation beyond “vilifying soft drinks and SSBs.”