Review SSB tax now, boost nutrition among poor Nigerians, FG told

The Federal Government has been urged to increase the sugar-sweetened beverage tax (SSB tax) to 20 percent and utilise the revenue to better fund Nigeria’s health sector and boost nutrition among the poor.

This was the position of a coalition of Nigerian health organisations under the umbrella of National Action on Sugar Reduction (NASR), at the just concluded Gatefield Health Summit in Abuja.

Speaking on the theme “Taxing Sugary Drinks and other Fiscal Policies for Healthcare taxing sugary drinks,” the
NASR president, Dr Alhassan Umar, explained that the tax regime and execution is necessary due to the health hazards posed on the citizenry, particularly the poor people.

According to him, “Nigeria has a health emergency as a result of our overconsumption of sugary drinks.
“11.2 million Nigerians or 1 in 17 adults are living with type 2 diabetes, and more than 1 in 5 Nigerians are overweight and have abdominal obesity, which is an often overlooked diabetes risk factor.”

Umar, who is also the Nigeria Cancer Society president, noted that between 2007 and 2021, the country recorded a growth in per-capita soft drink sales from 9 ml to 14ml. This spike in sales, in his view, resulted into “the direct and indirect costs of obesity, type 2 diabetes and other staggering non-communicable diseases.”

The health expert stated that treating NCDs takes its toll not just on the individual but also national economy due to prohibitive costs, and reduced ability of sufferers to work.

He added that the burden of treating diabetes is more than Nigeria’s entire health budget, pointing out that “the national direct cost of diabetes to Nigeria is estimated at USD 3.5 to USD 4.5 billion per annum or around NGN300,000 per patient.”

Also, Special Adviser to the President on Health, Dr. Salma Anas, stressed the administration’s priority to safeguard public health. She noted, “The President has said he is going to increase allocation for health, starting with 10% of our budget for health. Diabetes and Cancer treatment is very expensive, Many Nigerians cannot afford this and this tax will help reduce that.

“The government must tax SSBs at a minimum 20% rate for it to achieve the intended positive health outcomes and impact. Utilize SSB tax revenue for health and nutrition interventions: SSB taxes should be accounted for and used towards supplementing the health budget and providing nutrition for poor and vulnerable Nigerians at risk of malnutrition.”