By Segun Majekodunmi, JKNewsMedia Reporter
FOODS AND beverage have been accused of systematically exploiting Nigeria’s festive periods to aggressively market sugary drinks and ultra-processed foods, a warning from Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) says, adding that the practice is exacerbating the country’s public health crisis
At a press briefing on Tuesday, the civil society organisation (CSO) unveiled a report titled Unhealthy Food Hijack of Festive Periods in Nigeria, which documents how companies leveraged the 2025 Christmas and 2026 New Year celebrations as high-impact marketing windows to promote products high in sugar, salt and unhealthy fats.
CAPPA said its monitoring covered late November 2025 to early January 2026 across malls, parks, open markets, transport hubs, places of worship and digital platforms including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and X.
According to CAPPA’s report, companies deployed outdoor branding, sponsored concerts, school and community donations, influencer campaigns and digital promotions designed to associate unhealthy foods with celebration, generosity, faith and social connection.
JKNewsMedia.com reports that CAPPA’s Executive Director, Akinbode Oluwafemi, described the pattern as deliberate and coordinated.
“What we observed was not just seasonal celebration but deliberate market expansion. Festive periods were treated as opportunities to intensify brand visibility, associate unhealthy products with social meaning, and drive consumption at scale,” he said.
He also stressed that children are mostly targeted adding that because they are young people and so, are heavily targeted through cartoon characters, Santa-themed promotions, free samples, school donations and music-driven social media challenges.
Oluwafemi warned that early exposure to unhealthy products shapes long-term eating habits and increases risks of obesity and non-communicable diseases later in life.
He also raised concerns over the use of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives as indirect advertising.
He noted that the branded donations to schools, churches, markets and community groups were widely publicised and effectively embedded products in trusted social spaces.
“Donations tied to brand visibility are not acts of charity. They are indirect advertising strategies that exploit trust, culture and faith while shielding companies from scrutiny,” Oluwafemi said.
On health risks, Oluwafemi linked the marketing practices to rising cases of hypertension, diabetes, heart disease and stroke in Nigeria, noting that low-income households are the most exposed to festive promotions and least able to manage the healthcare costs associated with diet-related illnesses.
He also described festive-period advertising as a “risk multiplier” that reinforces unhealthy dietary patterns and increases pressure on families and the health system.
To address the issue, CAPPA therefore called for legally binding restrictions on the advertising, promotion and sponsorship of unhealthy food and beverage products, particularly during festive seasons.
Its recommendations include:
▪️banning branded CSR activities in schools, religious institutions and community spaces
▪️regulating outdoor advertising density in low-income areas
▪️strengthening controls on digital advertising
▪️introducing mandatory front-of-pack warning labels
▪️enforcing penalties such as fines, licence suspensions and public disclosure of offenders
CAPPA further urged the government to increase Nigeria’s sugar-sweetened beverage tax to 50 per cent of the retail price, with revenues dedicated to prevention and treatment of non-communicable diseases.
Escalating Rising Cancer Risks
On marking the World Cancer Day, themed United by Unique, CAPPA said Nigeria faces a growing cancer burden, citing figures from the National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment showing at least 72,000 cancer-related deaths annually and more than 120,000 new cases each year.
The organisation said increasing consumption of ultra-processed foods, sugary drinks and salt is linked to higher risks of colorectal, breast and prostate cancers.
It called on federal and state governments to strengthen healthy food policies, restrict unhealthy food marketing to children, review the sugar-sweetened beverage tax, reduce salt levels in processed foods and enforce tobacco control measures.
CAPPA also urged full implementation of the National Tobacco Control Act, inclusion of emerging nicotine products in advertising bans, higher tobacco excise taxes and stricter enforcement against illicit trade.
JKNewsMedia.com reports that CAPPA says prevention-focused policies would reduce pressure on Nigeria’s healthcare system, which it noted has about 40,000 doctors serving more than 200 million people.
“Nigeria cannot treat its way out of the cancer crisis. Prevention-focused policies, especially those related to tobacco, food and alcohol, offer perhaps the biggest and most cost-effective gains,” the organisation stated.
PRESS RELEASE:
World Cancer Day 2026: Tackle Cancer by Fixing Nigeria’s Food System, CAPPA Urges Govt
On World Cancer Day, themed ‘United by Unique,’ Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has reaffirmed its solidarity with the global community to honour the millions affected by cancer. While advocating for personalised, patient-centred care, CAPPA called on Nigeria to also address the growing link between cancer and Nigeria’s broken food system.
In a statement to mark the day, the public interest organisation warned that cancer is no longer a distant threat in the country, but a growing epidemic with no fewer than 72,000 annual cancer-related deaths and over 120,000 new cases recorded annually, according to the National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment. It noted that while genetic and environmental factors play a role, increasing evidence links the rise in colorectal, breast, and prostate cancers to the food Nigerians consume and how that food is produced.
Consequently, CAPPA called on the federal and state governments “to implement proactive measures to curb this public health crisis by fixing the cracks in our food system that are contributing to the rising burden of cancer and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Nigeria.”
These cracks, it added, include unrestricted marketing and consumption of ultra-processed foods, poor regulation of tobacco and emerging nicotine products marketing, and excessive consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) and salt, among other major cancer and NCD risk factors.
“We urge the government to place renewed focus on strengthening its healthy food policies. These include stricter regulation of tobacco and nicotine products, an upward review of the tobacco control budget, the development of a national guideline to reduce salt consumption including implementation of mandatory salt targets for processed and pre-packaged foods, a review of the SSB tax from the current N10 per litre to 50 per cent of the final retail price of sugary drinks, restrictions on the marketing of unhealthy foods to children, and clear nutrition standards for schools, hospitals and other public institutions,” CAPPA stated.
Recognising tobacco’s role as one of the biggest preventable cancer risks, the statement called for a full implementation of the National Tobacco Control Act, inclusion of new and emerging nicotine products in the ban on all forms of tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship, higher tobacco excise taxes adjusted for inflation, and strict enforcement against illicit tobacco and nicotine products trade.
The organisation also renewed its commendation of the federal government’s plan to earmark pro-health taxes for cancer prevention and care, noting that such measures would help reduce out-of-pocket healthcare spending.
The statement urged governments to make cancer control a development priority, saying the country’s health sector, with only 40,000 doctors for over 200million people, according to media reports, is at a breaking point.
“Nigeria cannot treat its way out of the cancer crisis. Prevention-focused policies, especially those related to tobacco, food, and alcohol, offer perhaps the biggest and most cost-effective gains. When combined with early detection, health financing, and accountability, they can save thousands of lives each year,” CAPPA added.
Signed
Robert Egbe
Media & Communications Officer, CAPPA
