Photo: Some Guests at CAPPA Documentary ‘Sweet Poison’
By: Daniel Kanu
A new documentary produced by the non-governmental organisation, Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), has highlighted the growing health and environmental dangers linked to the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) in Nigeria.
The 20-minute documentary titled Sweet Poison was premiered during a media presentation in Lagos on Wednesday, where public health experts, policymakers and civil society stakeholders warned that excessive intake of sugary drinks is contributing to the increasing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) across the country.
The documentary examines how multinational beverage companies have embedded sugary drinks into everyday Nigerian life through aggressive advertising, deep market penetration and targeted marketing campaigns, particularly among young people.
The documentary “Sweet Poison”, cast a critical light on the widespread consumption of Sugar-Sweetened Beverages (SSBs) in Nigeria and their links to rising non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and environmental degradation.
According to CAPPA, rising consumption of sugary beverages has been linked to a surge in diet-related illnesses such as Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, obesity, cardiovascular disease and other chronic health conditions.
The film combines expert analysis, personal testimonies and visual storytelling, featuring interviews with medical professionals, policymakers, traders, university students, fishermen and individuals living with diabetes.
Speaking at the premiere, CAPPA Executive Director, Akinbode Oluwafemi, said the documentary was designed to expose the hidden consequences of excessive sugary drink consumption on public health and the environment.
“Sweet Poison is an attempt to connect the dots. It combines medical evidence, lived experiences and on-the-ground realities to show how growing dependence on sugary drinks is quietly reshaping the nation’s health profile,” he said.
The documentary also explores the environmental impact of the beverage industry, particularly plastic pollution and resource-intensive manufacturing processes associated with soft drink production.
At the screening, the Lagos Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association, Dr. Saheed Babajide, warned that complications arising from diabetes could lead to severe organ damage, including kidney failure, blindness and limb amputations.
Also speaking, publisher of Nigeria Health Online, Sam Eferaro, who disclosed that he has lived with diabetes for about 30 years, lamented the rising cost of treatment for diabetes-related complications.
Eferaro revealed that he recently developed an eye complication linked to diabetes and now requires injections costing about N500,000 every three months to manage the condition.
He questioned government policies that impose taxes on medications for chronic illnesses, including diabetes and cancer.
Environmental health expert and Chief Executive Officer of Stradev Nigeria, Dr. Leslie Adogame, also warned that plastics used in beverage packaging contain hazardous chemicals that could worsen environmental and health crises, including cancer risks.
Similarly, physician Dr. Goke Akinrogunde stated that a significant number of erectile dysfunction cases are linked to diabetes complications.
The documentary further questions the effectiveness of Nigeria’s current sugar-sweetened beverage tax policy introduced under the Finance Act 2021, which imposed a N10-per-litre excise duty on non-alcoholic, sweetened and carbonated drinks.
CAPPA argued that the tax remains too low to discourage excessive consumption or significantly alter harmful industry practices.
The organisation is advocating a stronger tax framework, including a minimum 20 per cent excise tax on the retail price of sugary drinks, with a preferred benchmark of 50 per cent, while urging government to channel part of the revenue into public health interventions and awareness campaigns.
“With the burden of non-communicable diseases rising and healthcare costs climbing, Nigeria cannot afford half-measures,” Oluwafemi added.
“A stronger SSB tax is not just a fiscal tool but a necessary public health intervention.”
The documentary also features contributions from the Minister of State for Health, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, and the Special Adviser to the President on Health, Salma Ibrahim Anas.
Other guests at the premiere included diabetes advocate Ronke Opaleye and founder of the Diabetes & Limb Salvage Foundation, Osarenkhoe Chima-Nwogwugwu.
Sweet Poison first aired on TVC News on May 5, 2026, and is currently being broadcast on multiple media platforms nationwide.
The documentary is also available on the CAPPA official YouTube channel, in the link: https://youtu.be/wHHBEEk22rY?si=276GX7N_upk0DnjA and across all CAPPA social media platforms as advocacy around food systems, public health and lifestyle-related diseases gains momentum in Nigeria.
