Why Nigeria Needs a 20% Sugar Tax to Save Lives
Nigeria faces a growing health crisis as obesity, diabetes and heart disease climb. Our current excise duty of ₦10 per litre on sugar-sweetened beverages is too low to change behaviour or reduce health risks. The World Health Organization recommends taxing sugary drinks to curb consumption. Experience from Mexico, South Africa and the UK shows that higher levies prompt beverage companies to cut sugar and discourage harmful intake. Those additional funds also boost healthcare funding and nutrition programmes. It’s time for Nigeria to follow global best practice by raising the sugar drink tax to at least 20% of retail price. This policy would protect public health, ease pressure on our hospitals and generate revenue for preventive care. Prioritising citizens’ wellbeing over corporate profits is both responsible and urgent.
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