By Nathaniel Zaccheaus, Abuja
A heated split emerged at the Senate on Thursday as lawmakers considered a proposal to raise excise taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages, pitting health authorities against finance and manufacturing stakeholders.
At a public hearing convened by the Committees on Finance and Customs, senators examined a bill seeking to replace the current ₦10-per-litre charge with a percentage levy on sugary drinks.
Committee chair Senator Sani Musa said the measure aligns with global efforts to curb non-communicable diseases through fiscal policy.
The Federal Ministry of Health strongly backed the increase, arguing that higher taxes would save lives, reduce long-term treatment costs, and fund preventive healthcare.
Coordinating Minister Muhammad Ali Pate urged lawmakers to adopt a 20 per cent levy and earmark 40 per cent of revenues for NCD interventions.
He warned that delaying action would lead to a doubling of Nigeria’s disease burden within two decades.
Health advocates, including the Nigerian Cancer Society and the Diabetes Association of Nigeria, supported the ministry, insisting that national losses from NCDs already outweigh the proposed tax’s economic impact.
But industry groups pushed back. Representatives of the Ministry of Finance, the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria and NECA said higher excise duties would deepen industrial decline, worsen unemployment and hurt consumers.
MAN’s Adeyemi Folorunsho contested health-sector claims, arguing that Nigeria’s sugar consumption remains comparatively low and warning against what he called punitive taxation.
Senator Musa assured stakeholders that the Senate would pursue a balanced, evidence-based outcome before preparing its final report.
