The Healthy Food Policy Youth Vanguard (HFPYV) has called on the Minister of Youth Development, Comrade Ayodele Olawande, to support increasing the Sugar-Sweetened Beverages (SSB) tax to a minimum of 20% of the retail price to protect young Nigerians from health risks.
HFPYV made the demand during an advocacy visit to the youth minister noting that increasing the tax on SSBs from N10 per litre to N130 per litre will be in the interest of public health.
The youth-led group highlighted the growing concerns about the aggressive marketing of sugary drinks and ultra-processed foods to Nigerian youth, particularly around occasions like Valentine’s Day.
This trend, they noted, prioritises profits over the health of Nigerians, and is also creating a culture of unhealthy dietary habits among the youth, which is exacerbating the country’s rising burden of debilitating non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), cancers, and diabetes, that are responsible fornearly 30 percent of all deaths in Nigeria annually.
Blessing Oladunjoye, Publisher of BONews Service, presented alarming statistics showing that as of 2020, over 21 million Nigerians aged 15 and above were overweight, while 12 million were obese.
These figures represent approximately 20% and 12% of the population respectively, according to the National Library of Medicine.
“This makes us one of the countries with the largest youth populations in the world, whose youthful energy should be an asset in our quest for national development rather than a market for corporations to exploit for profits at the expense of people’s lives.
“These, and more, point to the need for urgent measures by the government, including the Ministry of Youth Development, which is Nigeria’s leading government organization empowering young Nigerians, to shield the youth from these ultra-processed foods and harmful sugary drinks,” Oladunjoye added.
Abayomi Sarumi, Senior Programmes Manager, Corporate Accountability and Public Participation AFRICA (CAPPA) who led the delegation to the Minister, dispelled the claim that the raise of SSB tax will affect the poor masses and lead to job loss.
“But that’s not the reality of it. If we achieve the 20% taxation on SSB products, people will switch to healthier alternatives and the industry can still thrive by selling healthy products and the health sector will not be overburdened with people paying out-of-pocket health expenses,” he argued.
Dr. Odunola Olabintan, Founder of The Health City, emphasized that the current N10 per litre SSB tax, implemented through the Finance Act of 2021, has become inadequate as soft drink prices have risen from N150 to between N350 and N450 per bottle.
Dr Olabintan referenced a recent study endorsed by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare recommending increasing the tax to N130 per litre while stating that the current SSB tax is grossly inadequate to curb excessive consumption.
Dr. Olabintan explained that “N130 per litre SSB Tax would amount to about N729 billion in additional revenue for the federal government, which it could strategically allocate through earmarking to strengthen the country’s healthcare system, particularly basic healthcare, which currently grapples with inadequate funding, especially for diet-related diseases”.
Mr Olalekan Daramola, Principal Partner, Wise Counsel Legal Practitioners, urged the Minister to protect young Nigerians by speaking in support of the pro-people and pro-healthy food policy of SSB Tax raise.
“We further urge the Honourable Minister to support our advocacy to demand a minimum of 20% tax on SSBs and for the funds to be earmarked for an improved healthcare sector.
“The young are the future of any country, and Nigeria cannot afford to have its populace indiscriminately exposed to unhealthy food and drink choices that can jeopardise that future,” he said.
Responding to the advocacy group’s presentation, Minister Olawande expressed support for their initiative, stating that “the Ministry is committed to the wellbeing of youths and we’re also concerned about the prevention of NCDs. We are happy to collaborate with you to amplify and implement your demands.”
The HFPYV emphasized that with approximately 70% of Nigeria’s population under 30 years old, protecting youth from unhealthy dietary habits is crucial for national development.