Raising Public Awareness on Nigeria's SSB Tax - CAPPA - Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa

Raising Public Awareness on Nigeria’s SSB Tax

cappaone
March 30, 2023
11:28 am

Sugar-Sweetened Beverages (SSBs) have become an increasingly popular part of our daily diets, but have we ever considered the impact of these sugary drinks on our health? To address this concern, Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) conducted a community outreach in Oke-Eletu, Ijede, Ikorodu, Lagos State. The outreach aimed to increase awareness and knowledge about the impact of SSBs on health and to advocate for community support for the SSB tax policy.

Abayomi Sarumi, CAPPA’s Programme Manager, opened the activity with a warm welcome to the participants and thanked them for their participation. He informed them of the objectives of the meeting and asked about their experiences with SSBs. An informal survey was conducted to understand how often the participants consume SSBs and what SSBs represent to them.

Dr. Francis Fagbule, CAPPA’s Public Health Consultant and a Public Health Specialist from the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, Nigeria, discussed the health hazards of consuming SSBs. He highlighted the linkages between SSB consumption and some non-communicable diseases that are common in communities. Dr. Francis informed the audience that the government has instituted a tax to help reduce the rate of consumption, and urged the people to rally around the government to increase the tax and reduce the consumption of unhealthy food to improve their health.

Akinbode Oluwafemi, CAPPA’s Executive Director, appreciated the participants for their cooperation and interaction during the outreach. He acknowledged the challenges they face that are inter-connected with the SSB tax campaign and informed them of their crucial role in the success of the campaign. Akinbode urged the participants to ensure that the message is disseminated properly to get more community buy-in and promised that the CAPPA team will continue to engage with the community and keep them informed of policy progress made on the campaign.

The community outreach is an important step towards raising awareness about the health hazards of consuming SSBs and advocating for public support for the SSB tax in Nigeria. It also provided a platform for community members to share their experiences and learn about the importance of reducing the consumption of unhealthy food. At the end of the meeting, members of the community appreciated CAPPA for enlightening them on the dangers of SSBs and promised to re-adjust their lifestyles to reduce the consumption of carbonated drinks.