About 30% deaths in Nigeria caused by poor diets, sugar-sweetened beverages, says report

About 30 percent of annual deaths in Nigeria have been linked to diet-related diseases and intake of sugar-sweetened beverages. They also serve as the precursors to health issues such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular conditions.

A new report by a non-for-profit group, Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has revealed.

The report, titled: “Junk on Our Plates: Exposing Deceptive Marketing of Unhealthy Foods Across Seven States in Nigeria,” was launched on Tuesday by the group’s Executive Director, Akinbode Oluwafemi, at a media briefing in Lagos.
According to Oluwafemi, Nigeria has witnessed a dangerous shift in its dietary habits, with traditional nutrient-rich meals being replaced by highly processed, sugar-laden, and nutrient-poor foods aggressively promoted by both multinational and local companies.
He said: “Obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular diseases now rank among the leading causes of death in the country. Together, they account for more than 30 percent of all annual deaths in Nigeria, and the numbers are still rising.”

In the words of Oluwafemi, deceptive marketing strategies—including misleading labelling, covert advertising, and targeting of children, have enabled the food and beverage industry to push unhealthy products into Nigerian homes and schools.

“These tactics, the report claimed, mirror those previously used by the tobacco industry.

“CAPPA is calling on the Federal Government to implement stricter regulations on food marketing—especially those targeted at children—and to enforce clearer front-of-pack warning labels,” he appealed.

The group also recommended setting mandatory limits on salt and sugar in processed foods and launching sustained, state-led public awareness campaigns.

“We must prioritise our food environment and how it affects what people eat. This is not just about individual choices, but about the systems that shape access and affordability,” he added.

While acknowledging efforts made by the government—including the introduction of the Sugar-Sweetened Beverages (SSB) Tax in 2021, transfat regulations in 2023, and the National Guideline for Sodium Reduction in 2025, the group insisted on a more comprehensive action as being needed.

“These are good steps, but as this report shows, we still have a long way to go,” Oluwafemi said: “The industry continues to exploit loopholes and weak enforcement to promote unhealthy food options.”

He further urged citizens, civil society, and policymakers to view food justice as a matter of fairness and public health, and not just personal choice. He also stressed the need for food policies to be free from corporate interference