The battle rages in Nigeria over sugar taxes as some industry players continue to resist and campaign against them, particularly in developing countries.
In Nigeria, the National Action on Sugar Reduction (NASR) organisation recently hosted a media event to highlight the significance of healthy food policies such as the Sugar-Sweetened Beverage (SSB) tax.
During the event, Shirley Ewang, Advocacy Specialist at Gatefield, the public strategy group, emphasized the need to continue advocating for an increase of the SSB tax in Nigeria. She stressed the fear that the beverage industry is pushing back on the tax and calling for its removal.
Globally, taxation has been an effective method for reducing the consumption of unhealthy foods with the SSB tax already implemented in places like the Americas and South Africa, and research shows that it has contributed to a decrease in consumption.
There was concern expressed that Nigeria lacks an efficient food policy and that the government should define the tax and earmark it for health purposes. Parliamentary members of PDGN are being urged to take this up with the government.
Advocacy Action: If you have a similar tax, is it being used to improve public health? Can you identify where the tax is going and what it is being used for? Can you use the growing evidence in favour of such a tax to reduce obesity and risk of NCDs such as diabetes, to introduce one in your country?