Prioritise healthy food policies in fight against cancer, Group tasks FG, states

As the world marked World Cancer Day 2025, a non-for-profit organisation, Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), has urged both the federal and state governments to develop and implement comprehensive healthy food policies targeted at reducing Nigerians’ exposure to ultra-processed foods, tobacco, excessive sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) and salt consumption, as they constitute high-risk factors driving the country’s alarming cancer burden and other non-communicable diseases.

The group noted that cancer has remained a major public health issue in Nigeria, with an increasing number of new cases and deaths. Nigeria records over 120,000 new cases of cancer annually, according to the National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment.

Also, the National Cancer Prevention and Control Plan (2018-2022) estimated that Nigerians spend N12 billion annually on cancer treatment, a figure, which according to CAPPA, underscored the urgent need for a multifaceted-policy approach and preventive measures to address the avoidable risk factors contributing to the country’s cancer as well as the NCD crisis.

The organisation urged the government to, in particular, among other pro-public-health tailored actions, implement and enforce healthy food policies such as the implementation of national guidelines to reduce salt consumption, as well as an upward review of the SSB Tax rate from the current N10 to N130 to achieve a substantial increase in the final retail prices of sugary drinks. curb excessive consumption and generate revenue for health interventions in line with global best practices.

CAPPA also called on the government to strictly regulate novel tobacco products, which are increasingly targeted at young people and to allocate more resources to the tobacco control fund to enhance enforcement efforts and public awareness campaigns.

In a statement by the group’s media and communication officer, Robert Egbe, noted that while tobacco use remained the leading cause of cancer and cancer-related deaths worldwide, SSBs, on the other hand, are associated with a heightened risk of obesity-related cancers, such as kidney and colon cancers. Similarly, high salt intake has been linked to an increased risk of stomach cancer and other health complications.

CAPPA’s Executive Director Akinbode Oluwafemi, who emphasised the creation of healthy food environments backed by effective regulations that enable healthy dietary decisions as the priority for tackling cancer-risk factors and NCDs, said this included fiscal policies that limit the consumption of unhealthy diets, promote public adoption of healthier foods through targeted subsidies and strategic investments in agriculture for nutrient-rich crops, as well as discourage tobacco and novel tobacco product use.

Additionally, the group in the statement highlighted the need for clear front-of-package labeling to inform consumers about the nutritional content of food products, observing that public awareness campaigns were equally vital to educate citizens on the link between diet and cancer, fostering healthier eating habits across the population.

By integrating these strategies, the

group concluded, Nigeria can create a comprehensive framework that reduces cancer risk factors and fosters a culture of health and wellness.

World Cancer Day is celebrated globally every February 4. This year’s event themed: “United by Unique,” celebrates the stories of every person affected by cancer.