The Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has called on the Nigerian government to fix the country’s food system saturated with ultra-processed foods, sugary drinks, and excessive salt, as well as tobacco and emerging nicotine products, which have become major drivers of the country’s rapidly rising cancer burden.
CAPPA raised the alarm while commemorating the 2026 World Cancer Day, themed ‘United by Unique.’ CAPPA reaffirmed its solidarity with millions affected by cancer worldwide while urging Nigeria to confront the growing link between cancer prevalence and the country’s failing food system.
In a statement to mark the day, the public interest organisation warned that cancer is no longer a distant threat in Nigeria but a growing epidemic, with no fewer than 72,000 cancer-related deaths and over 120,000 new cases recorded annually, according to data from the National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment.
While acknowledging the role of genetic and environmental factors, CAPPA said mounting evidence increasingly links the surge in colorectal, breast, and prostate cancers to unhealthy diets and harmful food production systems.
The organisation therefore called on federal and state governments to implement proactive measures to address what it described as deep cracks in Nigeria’s food system, which are driving the rise in cancer and other non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
“These cracks include the unrestricted marketing and consumption of ultra-processed foods, weak regulation of tobacco and emerging nicotine products, and excessive intake of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) and salt — all major risk factors for cancer and NCDs,” CAPPA said.
It urged the government to strengthen healthy food policies, including stricter regulation of tobacco and nicotine products, increased funding for tobacco control, the introduction of mandatory salt reduction targets for processed foods, and a review of the SSB tax from ₦10 per litre to 50 per cent of the retail price of sugary drinks.
Other recommendations include restrictions on unhealthy food marketing to children and the establishment of clear nutrition standards for schools, hospitals, and public institutions.
Highlighting tobacco as one of the biggest preventable causes of cancer, CAPPA called for full enforcement of the National Tobacco Control Act, the inclusion of emerging nicotine products in advertising bans, higher tobacco excise taxes adjusted for inflation, and stronger measures to combat illicit tobacco trade.
The organisation also commended the Federal Government’s plan to earmark pro-health taxes for cancer prevention and care, noting that such measures would help reduce out-of-pocket healthcare spending and strengthen public health financing.
CAPPA further urged governments to prioritise cancer control as a development issue, warning that Nigeria’s health sector is under severe strain, with only about 40,000 doctors serving over 200 million people, according to media reports.
“Nigeria cannot treat its way out of the cancer crisis. Prevention-focused policies, especially those targeting tobacco, food, and alcohol, offer the most cost-effective path to saving lives. When combined with early detection, adequate health financing, and accountability, they can prevent thousands of premature deaths annually,” the organisation added.