By Rosheedat Akinkunle, JKNewsMedia Reporter
MULTINATIONAL FOOD giants are aggressively embedding ultra-processed, unhealthy foods into Nigerian culture, especially among children and young adults, fuelling a sharp rise in non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and straining the nation’s healthcare system.
Unveiled in Lagos by pan-African NGO Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), the report – “Junk on Our Plates: Exposing Deceptive Marketing of Unhealthy Foods Across Seven States in Nigeria” – exposes an elaborate system of manipulation employed by the food and beverage industry to entrench high-sugar, high-salt products in Nigeria’s food environment.
According to CAPPA, these corporations are capitalising on aggressive advertising, celebrity endorsements, strategic pricing, and cultural symbolism to reshape food habits – targeting low-income communities and exploiting weak regulatory frameworks to push profit-driven products with little nutritional value.
Children are their primary targets, often surrounded by misleading messages and sugar-laden options designed to create lifelong dependencies.
“They flood the market with ultra-processed products under the illusion of choice while undermining Nigerians’ right to accurate food information and healthier options,” said Akinbode Oluwafemi, Executive Director of CAPPA.
The report draws a direct parallel between the current tactics of Big Food and the historical playbook of the tobacco industry – covert marketing, regulatory evasion, and strategic deception. It highlights how companies exploit poor enforcement, loopholes in labelling laws, and border weaknesses to sell nutrient-poor, calorie-dense foods.
“We are seeing a systematic erosion of traditional diets in Nigeria,” CAPPA said, “replaced by products engineered for addiction, longevity on shelves, and maximum profit margins.”
The dominance of high fat, sugar, and salt (HFSS) foods is helping drive a rise in obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease – all forms of NCDs now responsible for 30 percent of annual deaths in Nigeria, the report warns.
The Nigerian government has initiated several policies aimed at curbing this trend. Notably, the Sugar-Sweetened Beverage (SSB) Tax of N10 per litre, introduced to deter excessive sugar consumption, and more recent regulations on transfats and pre-packaged food labelling.
In March 2025, authorities unveiled the National Guideline for Sodium Reduction to address rising hypertension linked to excessive salt intake in packaged foods.
While CAPPA welcomed these steps, it warned they are being undermined by industry interference, policy gaps, and lack of enforcement.
“We need stricter rules on marketing, especially to children,” Oluwafemi stressed. “We need bold, clear, front-of-pack warning labels, limits on salt and sugar, and state-led campaigns free of corporate interference.”
Recommendations by CAPPA
CAPPA’s recommendations are wide-ranging: a steep increase in Nigeria’s SSB tax from N10 to N130 per litre, stronger restrictions on HFSS food marketing near schools, mandatory front-of-pack warning labels, and national nutrition campaigns led solely by public health authorities.
Zikora Ibeh, CAPPA’s Assistant Executive Director, called for deep reform of Nigeria’s food system. She urged the government to prioritise public health over corporate profits by investing in local agroecological farming and reversing trade policies that allow unhealthy foreign products to flood domestic markets.
“The food environment in Nigeria is rapidly deteriorating,” Ibeh said. “We’re not saying ban corporations – but we must demand accountability and clear food standards to help people make informed choices.”
CAPPA’s Programme Officer for the SSB Tax Campaign, Opeyemi Ibitoye, also warned that children are especially vulnerable to manipulative marketing strategies.
“Restricting how sugary drinks are marketed to children, especially near schools, is crucial,” she said. “Curbing these tactics is central to safeguarding future generations.”
The report also recognised the vital role of youth-led efforts under the Healthy Food Policy Youth Vanguard (HFPYV) and the CAPPA Digital Media Volunteers (CAPPA DMV), who were instrumental in the grassroots surveys behind the findings.
CAPPA’s statement concluded by acknowledging the technical guidance of the Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI), whose support shaped the final report.
