Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has called on federal and state governments to take urgent action against unhealthy food marketing and reform Nigeria’s food environment to curb the rising burden of diabetes in the country.
The organisation made the call ahead of World Diabetes Day 2026, observed on November 14, under the theme “Early Action on Diabetes,” urging governments to combine clinical treatment with policies that address the commercial and structural factors contributing to the disease.
CAPPA said Nigeria has the highest number of adults aged 20 to 79 living with diabetes in Africa, according to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF). It also cited the World Health Organisation (WHO), which estimates that nearly three in four adults with diabetes in Africa remain undiagnosed.
The organisation further noted that Nigerian households spend an estimated N1.92 trillion annually on out-of-pocket treatment of diet-related non-communicable diseases, describing the situation as a growing public health and economic concern.
CAPPA Raises Concerns Over Unhealthy Food Environment, Diabetes Burden in Nigeria
CAPPA’s Executive Director, Akinbode Oluwafemi, said Nigeria’s food environment is increasingly shaped by aggressive marketing, misleading product claims, affordability challenges and commercial interests that encourage the consumption of unhealthy foods.
He referenced the organisation’s report, Junk On Our Plates, which documented the aggressive and deceptive marketing of ultra-processed foods and products high in sugar and sodium across seven Nigerian states.
According to CAPPA, these marketing practices disproportionately target children, young people and low-income communities, exposing them to unhealthy dietary choices and increasing the risk of diet-related diseases.
The organisation argued that addressing diabetes requires more than improving access to treatment, stressing the need to tackle the food industry practices and wider conditions that influence what Nigerians eat.
Group Demands Sugar Tax, Food Marketing Restrictions, Stronger Healthcare Policies
CAPPA urged the Federal Government to finalise and enforce the proposed review of the Sugar-Sweetened Beverage (SSB) tax, following the Senate’s passage of a bill on the issue earlier in 2026.
It called for an inflation-adjusted excise tax of at least 20 per cent of the final retail price of sugary drinks, in line with WHO recommendations, and urged the government to channel the revenue towards non-communicable disease prevention, primary healthcare, diabetes screening and nutrition programmes.
The organisation also called for mandatory front-of-pack warning labels on products high in sugar, sodium and unhealthy fats, urging the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to expedite the process.
It further demanded restrictions on unhealthy food marketing targeted at children, including the use of child actors in advertisements, as well as stronger enforcement of healthy food standards in schools and public institutions.
CAPPA urged the government to resist interference from ultra-processed food industry players and misleading health claims, while strengthening primary healthcare services through increased funding, subsidised glucose testing, access to essential medicines and support for local insulin production.
It also called for agricultural incentives for smallholder farmers producing indigenous fruits, vegetables and whole grains, saying stronger local food systems would help make healthier diets more accessible to Nigerians.
