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SSB Consumption and the NCD Burden in Nigeria: The Challenge of Consumer Education
SSB Consumption and the NCD Burden in Nigeria: The Challenge of Consumer Education
By Patrick Iwelunmor
One of the greatest banes to actualising a robust national food policy in Nigeria has been the failure of SSB manufacturers to entrench sound consumer education initiatives, even as they smile to the bank with multi-billion naira returns on investment at the expense of their consumers’ health. Most of these consumers, including vulnerable populations such as children, are sadly carried away by the fascinating storylines of the advertising campaigns of sugar-sweetened beverages. As a result, they are subconsciously influenced to make buying decisions that become detrimental to their well-being in the long run.
Nigeria ranks 4th globally in the highest SSB consumers. The country sells an estimated 38.6 million liters of sugar-sweetened beverages annually in a market that accounts for a whooping US$16.87bn in 2023, with a projected annual growth rate of 16.63 percent. What this portends is that non-communicable diseases like diabetes, obesity and tooth decay, which have been linked to the consumption of SSBs, could witness an upward swing in the coming years if the government and other stakeholders, especially the SSB manufacturers, do not intensify consumer education programmes to sensitise the public on the dangers embedded in these bottled disasters. In addition, SSB manufacturers must ethically draw the line between profit-making and jeopardising consumers’ health.
According to a document, National Multi-Sectoral Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (2019 – 2025), obtained from the Federal Ministry of Health, There is very little evidence on the burden of NCDs and its trend in Nigeria. However, a recent systematic review of NCDs-related evaluation carried out across the federation on seven NCD diseases – cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus, chronic respiratory diseases, cancers, sickle cell disease, mental neurological and substance use disorders and road traffic injuries, indicates a rise in trend, prevalence and incidence. The document also clearly identified the consumption of refined sugars in foods and drinks as one of the risk factors for the escalation of NCDs in Nigeria. The document on the statistical overview of the SSB burden in Nigeria reads: “According to the WHO NCD Country profile 2016 report, NCDs were estimated to cause approximately 617,300 deaths, representing 29% of total deaths in Nigeria. Out of these, injuries accounted for 8%, followed by cardiovascular diseases with 11%. Premature mortality due to NCDs, which is defined as the probability of dying between ages 30 and 70 years from the main NCDs is 22%.”
Though SSB manufacturers, like Coca-Cola, have always claimed that there is no empirical evidence to show that sugar-sweetened beverages predispose consumers to non-communicable diseases, experts in the medical and nutrition professions have always warned that continuous consumption of soft drinks or ultra-processed foods can lead to harmful outcomes for the human system. It was to this end that the popular sugar wars ensued in the United States, with the advocacy group, The Praxis Project filing a lawsuit against Coca-Cola for using deceptive advertising to mislead consumers about the health impact of their products. Similar cases have also been recorded in other parts of the world with overwhelming scientific consensus about the harmful effects of sugar on human health, even though SSB manufacturers have continued to deny it.
When contacted to explain the efforts his company was making in terms of educating its teeming consumers on the reality of SSBs’ link with non-communicable diseases like diabetes, Mr. Ekuma Eze, Director of Public Affairs and Sustainability at Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company, promised to liaise with the marketing department and get back to this writer. His response is still being awaited. It is the same situation with letters sent to the marketing heads of CHI Ltd., makers of Chivita, Rite Foods, makers of Bigi Cola, and Viju Industries, makers of Viju Milk. None of them has responded to queries sent to them. Is this silence a sign of complicity in the shortchanging and deception of consumers? Time will surely tell. This collective silence makes a mockery of the Freedom of Information Act of 2011 which empowers individuals, groups and bodies to access information from public and private institutions offering services to the Nigerian public. More so, it is imperative for these SSB manufacturers to understand that the information being requested is a tool that would enable better outcomes for their products and services in terms of quality control and assurance and not a strategy for faultfinding. Until such manufacturers cooperate and make the needed information available to the public, bridging the gap of consumer awareness and education would remain a mirage.
However, Dr Patrick Ijewere, CEO of The Nutrition Hospital, Lagos, agrees that there is an ongoing imbalance between consumer education and deception by the manufacturers of SSBs, for the sake of maximising profit. Although, according to the nutrition expert, the manufacturers of SSBs are always deploying fantastic advertising to lure consumers with illusory realities such as Coca-Cola’s “Tomorrow’s People” ad of the mid-eighties and Nestle’s Milo “Food Drink of Future Champions” of the nineties, there has not been commensurate efforts in terms of educating consumers on the harmful effects of sugar consumption on health. For him, there are no future champions anywhere near Milo, only obese children with decaying dentition and failing eyesight. He, therefore, advocated for educational labelling on such products as it is done in the tobacco industry worldwide.
While harping on the importance of consumer awareness and education in Nigeria, the President of Consumer Awareness Organisation, an Enugu-based NGO and former Board Member International Association of Consumer Law, Professor Felicia Monye, lamented the low level of consumer education in the country, adding that it is not at the level it should be. She said that even though there are many agencies and available laws centred on consumer protection, there has been a serious lack of dedication on the part of policymakers. She also believes that most consumer-focused agencies see consumer protection as ancillary and not as a principal obligation, hence the lackadaisical attitude of most manufacturers in properly educating their consumers. For products like SSBs capable of causing harm to health, she said, the attachment of warning labels should be part of the obligation of their manufacturers.
For Consultant Endocrinologist at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH, Dr Akin Dada, SSBs contribute to the rise in diabetes cases in Nigeria, especially where there is a family history or the presence of other risk factors for the disease. He added that diabetes ranks number two among the most prevalent non-communicable diseases in the country. Therefore, he advocated for measures such as consumer health education by both government and the manufacturers of SSBs towards de-escalating the 5 to 7 per cent prevalence rate of NCDs which also accounts for over 29 per cent of total deaths in the country.
On why the 10 Naira per litre of SSB tax, as contained in the Finance Act of 2021, has not made the much-desired impact, Professor of Microbiology and Medical Laboratory Scientist, Louis Egwari, Director of Training and Research at QSM Training and Consulting Ltd., believes that it would take a while for the tax to be effective because the government may have adopted the policy, bearing in mind the economic implications it would have on both consumers and the manufacturers if it is suddenly increased above the stipulated 10 Naira. According to him, there are strong possibilities that the tax would be graduated to higher sums in the coming years.
Professor Egwari also lamented the low level of consumer education in the country. He blamed the development on stakeholders like NGOs and government agencies, who have failed to be proactive either because they are negligent or because they are receiving “funding” from politicians, who have special stakes in some of these SSB companies. When contacted for her comments on the efforts being made by the Department of Food and Drugs of the Federal Ministry of Health towards ensuring that Nigerian consumers are protected, especially with regards to the consumption of SSBs, Pharm Bunmi Aribeana, director of the department, asked this writer to send his queries, which she has not responded to, as at the time of filing in this report.
Meanwhile, in a swift reaction to the reason SSB manufacturers seem not to be doing enough in terms of consumer education, Chairman Senate Committee on Health, Senator Ibrahim Oloriegbe, said the situation was so because the government, which collects tax from these SSB manufacturers is supposed to be at the forefront of spearheading such consumer education causes, through agencies like the National Orientation Agency (NOA) and the Health Education Unit at the Federal Ministry of Health. He also argued that the link between SSBs and non-communicable diseases is indirect, adding that the manufacturers of these SSBs can argue that they have also made available zero-sugar options for those who do not want the sugar-sweetened variants.
Corroborating the position of Senator Oloriegbe, foremost Marketing Communication Specialist and CEO of XLR8, award-winning Public Relations firm, Pharm Calixtus Okoruwa, agreed that it is the responsibility of the Federal Ministry of Health to respond to perceived or potential public health challenges. He also noted that it should be the responsibility of SSB manufacturers to help drive consumer education initiatives targeted at more appropriate or healthier consumption of their products, especially from the corporate governance point of view. He absolved marketing communication agencies of any wrongdoing or complicity in the seeming failure to properly educate consumers while mesmerising them with “sugar-coated” adverts, adding that their activities are duly vetted and regulated by the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).
Responding to the possibility of marketing communication companies conniving with SSB manufacturers to deceive consumers through misleading advertising campaigns, thereby stifling the clamour for consumer awareness and education, ARCON’s Head of Legal Affairs, Barrister Chukwudi Ezeaba, said the council advocates for consumer education to the extent permitted by its statutory responsibilities. He added that such advocacy features in their annual training and sensitisation calendar. He further observed that the Advertising Standards Panel, which has the statutory duty of ensuring that adverts conform to relevant laws and codes of ethics, would not shut its eyes where incidences of excesses are found, regardless of the product or service.
For public health expert and CEO of Bloom Public Health, an Abuja-based public health think-tank, Professor Chimezie Anyakora, one of the most important strategies for improving and adopting healthy dietary practices in Africa remains the promotion of consumer awareness and demand for healthy foods. According to Anyakora, these can be achieved by educating children, adolescents and adults about nutrition and healthy dietary practices, supporting point-of-sale information through comprehensive nutrition labelling, and providing nutrition and dietary counselling at primary healthcare facilities.
Critically speaking, there is no gainsaying the fact that government and all other stakeholders must urgently map out strategies to decisively bridge the consumer education gap in the relationship between manufacturers of SSBs and their consumers. Importantly, the government should consider enforcing the mandatory use of labelling to warn consumers of SSBs on the potential dangers associated with consuming sugar-sweetened beverages, as done in the tobacco industry. We can have warnings such as: “The Federal Ministry of Health Warns that excess sugar is dangerous to health”, “This product is unsuitable for diabetics, etc.” Such warning labels have proven to be effective in curbing overconsumption of sugar-sweetened beverages as demonstrated in Chile, where a 2016 food labelling and advertising regulation brought about a 25 percent drop in the consumption of SSBs. For a multi-lingual and multi-cultural setting like Nigeria, such warning labels, when translated into different local languages, can help consumers make informed dietary choices and avoid endangering their health by staying away from the wrong beverages. This is achievable in Nigeria, if the government can muster the political will.
NNPCL and Corruption’s Final Throes
By Pius Olasanmi
In the twilight of the Obasanjo administration, when Nigerians were still capable of being outraged, when Turn Around Maintenance (TAM) of refineries was a buzzword that still held some mysticism to bamboozle citizens, during a conversation, a certain man said something profound. The man said, “As a businessman, if I were the owner of these refineries, knowing that they are three decades old, I would take the last money I have, hire bulldozers, raze them to the ground, and obtain loans to build new ones.”
When we pressed him further on why he would engage in such waste, he explained that repairing the refineries is the real waste. He explained that even if the TAM were honestly carried out, a thirty-year-old refinery would never compete favourably with a new one that would integrate contemporary technology. Operating at its best, such a refinery would never be comparatively more efficient. It is therefore pointless to have spent another one naira on the refineries at that point.
A few months later, I had a conversation with a then-lawmaker on an entirely different matter. I mentioned that the National Assembly has failed by not crafting legislation that would criminalise and punish public office holders who foist wrong decisions on the country. The logic: a public office holder need not steal to be punished, wrong decisions should attract penalties for an office holder who opts for the worst of all options when there are less injurious ones.
These established premises speak to the ongoing nauseating efforts at revisionism by those who wrecked the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and its previous iteration, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). Notably, this campaign to rewrite history is traceable to Engineer Mele Kolo Kyari, the disgraced immediate past Chief Executive Officer of NNPCL and his hirelings. They have suffocated the news and the public opinion space with even more lies than they spun while in office.
The Saint Kyari campaign is anchored on convincing Nigerians that the Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna Refineries were fully functional when he was booted out of office. So brazen is the campaign that one of its talking heads challenged the group chief executive officer (GCEO), Engr. Bayo Ojulari, to “inform Nigerians categorically what happened to the functioning refineries he inherited from his predecessor, Engr. Mele Kyari.” The effrontery.
We have not forgotten so soon the charade that followed the baffling claim that Nigeria has spent $2.8 billion on the repair of the refineries, while they are not churning out even a single litre of refined product among them. Saint Kyari and his goons played all manner of tricks, all of which embarrassed President Bola Tinubu, who had counted on ticking off the return to productivity of the refineries as part of his achievements, only to realise that he was deceived into celebrating phantoms. Tragic.
Lest we forget, 200 trucks were arranged as props in a well-directed video clip to celebrate the re-streaming of the Port Harcourt Refinery. The disappointment. Nigerians were to learn from several reports that the Port Harcourt refinery was not producing and was instead using old, stored petroleum products to load trucks. Worse still, the Kyari crew was passing off sanction-tainted Russian-sourced crude oil refined in Malta as locally refined products. More insult was piled on the assault on our collective sensibility with the lies that the Port Harcourt Refinery exported semi-finished products. Brazen.
Meanwhile, Kyari and his hirelings called those who pointed out or protested these glaring scams all manner of names. They hid behind industry technicalities and jargon to create the impression that those of us who knew Nigerians were being robbed did not understand what we were saying. The point remains that a $2.8 billion investment can potentially build a refinery with a capacity of around 100,000 barrels per day (bpd). Of course, the actual capacity of such a refinery will depend on various factors, including the complexity of the refinery, the technology used, and the location. That is the amount that Kyari’s regime at the NNPCL took and did not give Nigerians refined products.
Fast forward to Kyari’s sack and the appointment of Engineer Bayo Ojulari, who has demonstrated that things can indeed be done differently. Kyari’s exit was expectedly followed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) going after him and his associates. The extent of the theft is better understood against the backdrop of N80 billion being found in the bank account of one of his associates. They went on the run.
Perhaps because the EFCC was biding its time on securing international warrants for the arrests of these characters on the lam, they have become emboldened. They have decided to fight back and rewrite the story of their participation in the greatest fraud against Nigerians. Engineer Ojulari’s renewed mindset, which is entrenching a semblance of the transparency Nigerians demand, became their natural target. The demons that once roamed around the corporation came out with malevolence. They started spinning stories of corruption to tarnish the incumbent who refused to hide their crimes. The objective: bring Ojulari down. But alas, he is winning the war as it stands.
His innocence is proven, and it is glaring that those who want him out are mere charlatans who can no longer ply their corrupt wares because of the impact of the new reforms. Corruption in the NNPCL is in its final throes. The fake news being unleashed against the incumbent leadership is akin to corruption’s last kicks as reforms in the sector strangulate it and its practitioners. The reforms must take place in the NNPCL, whether the industry demons like it or not.
As a parting shot, Kyari and his associates would do well to prepare their defence. In addition to accounting for the $2.8 billion they laundered in the name of repairing the moribund refineries, they must also answer for the poor decision to fix that which is irretrievably broken. Awarding contracts for Turn Around Maintenance of 59-year-old refineries that a right-thinking person had suggested should be demolished almost twenty years ago, when they were only 30 years old, is criminal. Trying to deceive Nigerians that the fake repairs worked is treason.
Olasanmi is a public affairs analyst writing from Lagos.
GRANDIS 5STAR LUXURY APARTMENT & SUITES SET TO REDEFINE LIVING IN VICTORIA ISLAND
Set to Rise elegantly against the Lagos skyline, is the Grandis 5Star Luxury Apartment & Suites. According to Adejuwon Ademola, The General Manager of the Development company, it is more than just a residential building
“it’s a lifestyle statement. Standing 17 floors high in the heart of Victoria Island, this revolutionary masterpiece of modern architecture will offer a panoramic 360° view of Eko Atlantic, Victoria Island, and Ikoyi, transforming every apartment into an exclusive penthouse experience for the world’s most discerning elite.”
Developed by Dumarco Construction Limited, a globally acclaimed company with decades of delivering complex, high-value projects in the highly regulated petroleum, oil, and gas industries, Grandis 5Star brings unmatched international safety standards, uncompromising quality, and timeless elegance into Nigeria’s luxury property market.
> “When you live in Grandis, you’re not just buying a home—you’re investing in peace of mind, world-class safety, and an effortless luxury experience that will remain pristine for decades,” says Adejuwon A. Ademola, General Manager of Dumarco Construction Limited.
The Gold Standard in Safety and Quality
Dumarco’s roots in the oil and gas sector mean the company operates to some of the strictest safety protocols in the world. Every stage—from conceptualization, design, construction, to long-term maintenance—follows internationally accepted procedures and quality assurance measures. Cutting corners is simply not in Dumarco’s vocabulary.
> “In the oil and gas industry, there’s no room for compromise. We’ve brought that same discipline and zero-tolerance for mediocrity into property development,” says Ademola. “That’s why Grandis will be one of the safest and most enduring residential developments in Nigeria.”
To ensure transparency and prevent (project complacency), Dumarco deliberately separates the developer, contractor, and consultant roles, engaging only the most competent professionals in each respective field. Dumarco’s project team includes globally recognized contractors such as Julius Berger, Cappa & D’Alberto, and Elalan, Migliore Construczione & Tecniche (MC&T) and their partners VENCO IMTIAZ CONTRACTING COMPANY (VICC) based in Dubai, UAE, Business Contracting Limited, alongside leading consultants like Morgan Omanitan & Abe, LAMBERT, and James Cubitt.
Grandis – Investments, appreciation, returns and profitability
Our selection process for the location of the project alone was pains-taking and completely thorough scientific process. Top professional companies were employed to conduct a scientific data acquisition and analytical survey of the entire Victoria Island, Ikoyi, Lekki and Eko Atlantic before a project site is selected. Analyzing and acquiring areas developmental charts and trends, studying and gathering historical and present sale prices, rental charge and occupancy rates over a 50 year period from every individual street before the selection of the location of any of our developments especially true for the Grandis Project
He adds,
“Our clients and residents can be rest assured that the location of Grandis has been scientifically proven through all existing data to provide our clients with a 100% occupancy rate, highest developmental location, highest rental income and investment returns. ”
The Grandis Experience
Located minutes away from international corporate headquarters, embassies, and landmarks such as Eko Hotel, Radisson Blu, and the Radisson Red, Grandis offers unmatched convenience for professionals, diplomats, and high-net-worth individuals. Every residence is designed for both indulgence and efficiency, with high-grade finishes, smart-home systems, and private amenities that ensure seamless living.
From sunrise over the Atlantic to the glittering Lagos night skyline, residents will enjoy uninterrupted luxury, supported by discreet and highly trained staff, advanced security systems, and a design that prioritizes comfort and privacy.
> “We designed Grandis for people who want everything—security, elegance, convenience, and the assurance that their home will look as spectacular in 20 years as it does on day one,” Ademola notes.
A Legacy That Lasts
With its combination of visionary architecture, peerless safety, and meticulous maintenance planning, Grandis is built to remain iconic for generations. Thanks to Dumarco’s meticulous approach, the building’s service charges are expected to remain low while its value and appeal continue to appreciate over time.
In a market often marred by shortcuts and substandard practices, Mr Ademola says
Grandis stands as a beacon of what luxury living should be—safe, spectacular, and built to last.
“Grandis 5Star Luxury Apartment & Suites — Where safety meets sophistication, and every detail is designed for a life well-lived.”
He added
Website -www.dumarcoltd.com
Project website – www.26idowutaylor.com
Email [email protected]
Tel / WhatsApp +234 9077777883
GM – Adejuwon A. Ademola
celebrity radar - gossips
Nationwide Talent, One Broadcaster: Tinubu Picks Pedro, Bello, Din, Mohammed to Lead NTA
Tinubu Overhauls NTA Leadership: Media Powerhouse Rotimi Pedro Takes Helm as DG
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has announced a major shake-up at the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), appointing renowned media executive Rotimi Richard Pedro as the new Director-General in a move widely seen as a bold step toward modernising the state broadcaster.
Pedro, a Lagos native, brings nearly 30 years of expertise in broadcasting, sports rights, and marketing communications across Africa, the UK, and the Middle East. A trained entertainment and intellectual property lawyer, he also holds an MSc in Investment Management and Finance from City University Business School, London.
In 1995, Pedro founded Optima Sports Management International (OSMI), which rose to become one of Africa’s leading sports content providers—distributing premium events such as the English Premier League, UEFA Champions League, FIFA World Cup, and CAF competitions to audiences in over 40 countries.
His career highlights include top roles at Bloomberg Television Africa and Rapid Blue Format, as well as advisory work for FIFA, UEFA, Fremantle Media, and the African Union of Broadcasters (AUB). At the AUB, he was instrumental in securing exclusive pan-African free-to-air media rights for all CAF competitions.
Alongside Pedro’s appointment, Tinubu named Karimah Bello from Katsina State as Executive Director of Marketing, Stella Din from Plateau State as Executive Director of News, and Sophia Issa Mohammed from Adamawa State as Managing Director of NTA Enterprises Limited.
Industry insiders credit Pedro with building commercially viable broadcast platforms, driving sponsorship growth, and delivering world-class content to African audiences. His appointment marks one of the most significant leadership changes at NTA in years—signalling the government’s intent to strengthen the broadcaster’s competitiveness in a fast-evolving media landscape.
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