By Abubakar Y Ojimaojo
The Federal Government, through the Ministry of Health, announced yesterday that it is fully committed to leading the implementation of Sugar Sweetened Beverages (SSBs) taxation in Nigeria. This effort aims to prevent and control Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs).
Dr. Moranike Alex-Okoh, the Director/Head of the Public Health Department at the ministry, expressed this commitment during the inaugural meeting of the ad-hoc committee on SSB tax in Abuja.
She urged the committee to leverage both individual and collective expertise to develop a sustainable, comprehensive, and coordinated approach. This approach should focus on achieving policy coherence, strengthening stakeholders, and garnering public support.
Represented by Mrs. Etta Nneka, Deputy Director of NCD, Moranike stated, “We are committed to achieving the global best practice of applying at least a 20% tax on the final retail price of all SSBs, as the current rate of 10 naira per liter falls short of this goal.
“The committee will be tasked with addressing excessive SSB consumption by implementing comprehensive, coordinated, and sustainable strategies for the SSB tax regime.
“The committee is expected to expand the scope of the SSB tax to cover a wide range of sugary drinks. It will also determine the most effective SSB tax strategy for Nigeria.
“We will explore options for a legislative framework and prioritize strategic advocacy interventions to secure policy maker support for the SSB tax.”
Moranike highlighted that successful SSB taxation has been implemented in countries like Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Spain, Portugal, and others. This has effectively reduced the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages.
“The introduction and maintenance of this tax in Nigeria will contribute to reducing excessive SSB consumption and alleviate the burden of NCDs.”
Akinbode Oluwafemi, Executive Director of Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), stated, “Today’s developments demonstrate a certain level of political commitment, indicating their readiness to fulfill their social contract of safeguarding the health of Nigerians.”
“The SSB tax is designed to protect the health of Nigerians. Unlike a regular tax, it won’t impose an additional burden on the people. Instead, it will empower Nigerians to make informed spending choices, particularly regarding products that lack benefits and contribute to health issues.”
