The World Health Organization (WHO) has said that increasing the tax on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) in Nigeria will not place a burden on the population.
Instead, the health agency and other experts argue, it could save millions of lives by reducing the risk of non-communicable diseases like diabetes, cancer, and heart disease.
In a growing campaign to protect global public health, WHO is calling on countries—including Nigeria—to raise taxes on sugary drinks, alcohol, and tobacco products by at least 50 percent by 2035.
The aim is to discourage unhealthy consumption, ease pressure on fragile health systems, and raise vital revenue that can be channeled into healthcare and social protection.
Experts in Nigeria are lending their voices to this call, warning that the current tax level on sugary drinks—N10 per litre—is far too low to achieve any meaningful change.
Olukunmi Lanre, a professor and senior lecturer in public health promotion and nutrition education, noted that the dangers posed by sugary drinks are much greater than most people realise.
According to him, many Nigerians can easily switch to local and healthier alternatives if the right policies are put in place.
