CAPPA: Nigeria must declare diabetes emergency

…Warns of 30,000 deaths yearly

By Grace Edet

As Nigeria joined the global community to mark World Diabetes Day, the Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has called on the Federal Government to declare a national state of emergency on diabetes care, warning that the disease is claiming 30,000 Nigerian lives every year and pushing millions into financial distress.

In a statement issued yesterday by its Media and Communication Officer, Robert Egbe, the organisation described as “alarming” media reports indicating that 11.4 million Nigerians are currently living with diabetes, with many unable to afford treatment.

Egbe said the situation had been worsened by the soaring cost of diabetes management, which now averages between ₦100,000 and ₦120,000 monthly, a burden he warned is “impossible for most patients” and fast becoming “a death sentence for many Nigerians impoverished by the poor economy.”

CAPPA’s concerns come against the backdrop of rising non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in the country, driven largely by unhealthy diets, sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) and aggressive marketing of ultra-processed foods. The group said the trend highlights the need for sweeping policy action.

It fully aligned with the Diabetes Association of Nigeria, which recently urged the Federal Government to prioritise diabetes care and scale up interventions nationwide. CAPPA specifically called for a significant upward revision of the SSB tax, insisting that proceeds should be dedicated to strengthening Nigeria’s weak health system.

According to Egbe, “unhealthy diets and sugary drinks drive NCDs risk, while the aggressive marketing and wide availability of sugary drinks and highly processed foods are changing dietary environments across the country.”

The organisation said its ongoing campaign for an SSB tax of at least ₦130 per litre, alongside mandatory front-of-pack nutrition labelling, is backed by global evidence showing that higher taxes reduce consumption, push manufacturers toward healthier product reformulation, and raise revenue for critical health investments. It added that clear nutrition labels would empower Nigerians to make informed choices.

This year’s World Diabetes Day, themed “Diabetes Across Life Stages,” underscores the reality that diabetes affects people at every point in life, including during pregnancy, further elevating the importance of preventive health financing and dietary regulation.