Home Blog Page 100

Fidelity Bank Boosts Gymnastics Development with Gymfest Championship 2.0 Sponsorship

By
blacktalker
-
0
Fidelity Bank Boosts Gymnastics Development with Gymfest Championship 2.0 Sponsorship
L-R: Head Coach, Tee Tumblers Gymnastics Club & Lagos State Gymnastics Club, Patrick Umoh; CEO, Tee Tumblers Gymnastics Club and Co-founder, Gymfest Championship 2.0, Yoyin Akpose; Creative Coach, Gymfest Championship 2.0, Oyegbata Chinedu; and Gymfest Program Coordinator, Faith Oaikhiena; flanked by some participants during the Gymfest Championship 2.0 sponsored by Fidelity Bank Plc and held in Lagos, recently.

Fidelity Bank Plc, has reiterated its commitment to youth empowerment by serving as the headline sponsor of Gymfest Championship 2.0.

The competition, which held in Lagos over the weekend, drew remarkable participation from children aged 3 to 12 years who competed across levels 1 through 7, Gymfest 2.0 brought together gymnasts, parents, clubs, schools, and sponsors, all united by a shared vision to nurture young gymnastic talent across the country.

Speaking at the event, Divisional Head, Brand and Communications, Fidelity Bank Plc, Dr Meksley Nwagboh, explained that the support for gymnastics is part of the bank’s broader vision to invest in platforms that empower young Nigerians to unlock their full potential and pursue greatness with intention.

“At Fidelity Bank, we believe sports are a powerful tool for transformation. They instill discipline, sharpen focus, and foster teamwork; qualities that shape character and build strong communities. These same values drive innovation, leadership, and national development.

“As headline sponsor of Gymfest, we are proud to support an initiative that promotes physical excellence, strengthens community bonds, and inspires national pride. Gymfest is more than a competition; it motivates children to set ambitious goals and pursue them with dedication and effort,” he said.

Also speaking at the event, Founder, Tee Tumblers Gymnastics Club and Co-founder, Gymfest Championship, Yoyin Akpose, outlined the long-term vision of the initiative as one that seeks to build a thriving community of children, parents, schools, clubs, and sponsors united by a shared passion for gymnastics.

Akpose stated that, “Our aim is to make gymnastics accessible to every child with a dream, creating fully equipped centers that provide training opportunities for all levels, from Surulere to Ikorodu, Ikeja, Apapa, and beyond.”

“GYMFEST is changing the narrative by offering a structured platform for talent development, international exposure, and professional training,” Akpose added.

One of the event’s highlights was the impressive performance of Oluwatoni Pitan, who emerged as the winner and overall best gymnast in the Level 2 Vault category.

Expressing her excitement, she said,“I feel very excited because I didn’t even expect this at all. This is my first Level 2 competition, and it took me three weeks of preparation. I encourage other female gymnasts to work hard and be consistent, you never know when your opportunity will come.”

Oluwatoni also expressed her gratitude to Fidelity Bank, the organisers, and her parents for the opportunity to showcase her talents and pursue her dreams as a young athlete.

Through strategic partnerships for initiatives like GYMFEST, Fidelity Bank continues to demonstrate its dedication to empowering the next generation, driving positive change, and fostering excellence through sports development in Nigeria.

Ranked among the best banks in Nigeria, Fidelity Bank Plc is a full-fledged Commercial Deposit Money Bank serving over 9.1 million customers through digital banking channels, its 255 business offices in Nigeria and United Kingdom subsidiary, FidBank UK Limited.

African CSOs Reject COP30’s $125bn Tropical Forest Facility

By
blacktalker
-
0
African CSOs Reject COP30’s $125bn Tropical Forest Facility

African civil society organisations have rejected the newly launched $125bn Tropical Forest Forever Facility, TFFF at COP30 in Belém, Brazil, calling it a dangerous attempt to financialise tropical forests rather than protect them.

The Africa Make Big Polluters Pay, MBPP Coalition, which includes CAPPA, Gender CC Southern Africa, the Global Forest Coalition (GFC) and over 30 others, said the facility offers no real climate support and instead places forests under the control of powerful investors.

The coalition said the TFFF, promoted by Brazil as a blended-finance fund for forest protection, reduces ecosystems to tradable assets and undermines community-led conservation.

“The excitement around the TFFF is misplaced,” the group stated. “Rather than safeguarding forests, it commodifies them and erodes the climate-justice principles it claims to uphold.”

They warned that Africa’s biodiverse forests and vulnerable communities are most at risk, with the scheme creating deeper financial dependency and weakening national sovereignty over forest resources.

Countries such as Nigeria, Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Liberia, Mozambique, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Togo and Uganda are being drawn into a system that prioritises investor returns over community needs.

The group criticised the proposal to pay countries about US$4 per hectare annually as “tokenistic” and said the fund’s structure resembles a profit-driven investment vehicle, with investors paid before countries.

They added that real climate financing could easily come from redirecting just 1% of global military spending, which would raise six times more than the TFFF without exposing nations to financial risk.

The coalition also faulted the appointment of the World Bank as trustee, warning that its oversight would centralise control, delay access, and silence frontline communities.

Akinbode Oluwafemi, Executive Director of CAPPA, said: “The World Bank must not be allowed to turn forest protection into another business model.”

Mokoena Ndivile of Gender CC Southern Africa added that the facility threatens women and indigenous communities who rely on forests for survival.

Kwami Kpondzo of the Global Forest Coalition warned that the scheme sidelines local knowledge and entrenches corporate power.

The MBPP urged global leaders to reject the TFFF and support transparent, community-driven climate finance systems that strengthen, not undermine local stewardship.

CSOs Back NAFDAC’s Sachet Alcohol Ban

By
blacktalker
-
0
CSOs Back NAFDAC’s Sachet Alcohol Ban

Civil society organisations have thrown their weight behind the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, over its plan to enforce the ban on sachet and small-volume alcohol packaging from December 2025, insisting that the measure is critical to protecting public health.

The Network for Health Equity and Development, NHED and Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa, CAPPA made their position known in a joint statement on Sunday, describing the ban as a long-overdue intervention that will safeguard children, youths, and other vulnerable groups from harmful alcohol exposure.

The CSOs warned that the packaging, pricing, and aggressive marketing of alcohol in sachets, PET bottles, and glass bottles of 200ml and below had made high-concentration alcohol dangerously accessible to minors, fuelling addiction, social disorder, road crashes, and non-communicable diseases.

They recalled that although NAFDAC announced the ban in 2024 and granted manufacturers a multi-year phase-out period ending December 2025, many producers continued production in defiance of the directive.

NHED and CAPPA criticised the resistance from alcohol manufacturers and faulted the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) for claiming that the ban would trigger investment losses and massive job cuts.

They described the claims as exaggerated scare tactics commonly deployed by alcohol and tobacco industries worldwide to weaken regulation.

“The figures being circulated are inflated and unverifiable,” the organisations said. “This is a familiar global strategy used to force governments to prioritise commercial interest over public health.”

They argued that production processes for these products are highly mechanised and require minimal labour, making the job-loss narrative misleading. They also accused industry players of weaponising economic misinformation to blackmail regulators rather than engaging constructively with evidence-based policies.

Dr. Jerome Mafeni, Technical Director at NHED, stressed that the protection of lives must override profit motives. He noted that Nigeria is already grappling with the consequences of alcohol misuse, including rising addiction among young people, increased violence, declining productivity, and mounting healthcare costs.

“It is unacceptable that children can purchase high-concentration alcohol for as little as ₦100,” Mafeni said. “Manufacturers have for years placed profit above the well-being of Nigerians.”

CAPPA’s Executive Director, Akinbode Oluwafemi, said NAFDAC’s stance aligns with global best practices and mirrors actions taken by responsible governments to curb harmful alcohol consumption.

“No credible public health agency allows the continued marketing of products packaged to encourage on-the-go and underage drinking,” he said, commending NAFDAC for resisting corporate pressure.

The organisations urged the Federal Ministry of Health, Ministry of Finance, Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), and National Orientation Agency (NOA) to support the agency for seamless implementation of the ban.

They also called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the National Assembly not to bow to pressure from industry players.

“The well-being of over 200 million Nigerians must not be sacrificed at the altar of corporate profit,” the CSOs said.

Beyond enforcing the ban, they recommended additional control measures including higher taxation, stricter marketing restrictions to protect children, clearer labelling, and nationwide public sensitisation on alcohol-related harm.

According to them, the long-term social and economic burden of alcohol misuse, from healthcare costs to reduced productivity and premature deaths, far outweighs any economic value claimed by manufacturers.

“NAFDAC’s ban is the right policy at the right time,” the groups stated. “NHED and CAPPA stand firmly with the agency and with Nigerians committed to a safer, healthier society.”

MVAA Permanent Secretary Sets Bold 2026 Targets, Tasks Staff on Digitization

By
blacktalker
-
0
MVAA Permanent Secretary Sets Bold 2026 Targets, Tasks Staff on Digitization

The Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Motor Vehicle Administration Agency, MVAA, Mr. Abdul-Rasheed Muri-Okunola, has charged staff of the agency to recommit to a culture of digitization, operational efficiency, and organisational alignment as Lagos intensifies reforms within its transportation administration system.

Speaking at the opening of the MVAA 2025 Annual Management and Staff Retreat, Muri-Okunola said the agency is entering a defining phase of transformation that requires a workforce fully equipped, mentally and professionally, to support the State’s digitization agenda.

Delivering a keynote presentation titled “Driving Organizational Alignment: Seeing the Big Picture,” the Permanent Secretary noted that although MVAA has launched several innovative reforms, progress has often been slowed by internal resistance from individuals still accustomed to old administrative practices.

He stressed that the future of MVAA depends not only on technology but on the collective will of staff to adopt a change-ready mindset.

“Our vision is to position MVAA as the new face of public-sector digitization in Nigeria, the most efficient, transparent, and customer-focused vehicle registration authority in the country,” Muri-Okunola stated. “Mindset, not technology, is our greatest tool for transformation.”

Muri-Okunola outlined an ambitious set of 2026 projection benchmarks aimed at consolidating MVAA’s leadership in service delivery and revenue assurance.

These include: zero avoidable delays in processing and issuing driver’s licences and number plates; end-to-end digitization of major operational processes; expanded adoption of self-service platforms for residents.

Others are improved revenue assurance using technology-driven monitoring and stronger customer-focused service standards across all touchpoints

He emphasized that these targets are achievable only if staff align fully with the agency’s strategic direction, strengthen internal collaboration, and prioritise professionalism.

In his goodwill message, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation, Hon. Sola Giwa, described MVAA as a critical interface between government and millions of Lagosians, urging staff to embrace continuous improvement and customer-centric operations.

Similarly, the Special Adviser on Taxation and Revenue, Mr. Abdulkabir Ogungbo, said rising public expectations for transparent and technology-driven services made the retreat’s theme; “Transforming Business Processes Through a Change-Ready Mindset”, especially timely.

He highlighted ongoing state-wide innovations such as the Lagos Revenue Portal (LRP), unified payer identity, and automation across MDAs, urging MVAA to accelerate digitization and reduce physical bottlenecks.

Fidelity Bank Grows Gross Earnings by 46% to ₦748.7 billion for H1 2025

By
blacktalker
-
0
Fidelity Bank Launches Quarterly Business Forum to Boost SME Growth, Capacity Building

Fidelity Bank Plc has announced its audited financial results for the half-year ended 30 June 2025, demonstrating resilience and sustained growth across key performance indicators.

Highlights of the financial results which was uploaded on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) portal on Thursday, 13 November 2025 shows that the bank delivered robust results across key financial metrics including Gross Earnings, which stood at ₦748.7 billion, up from ₦512.9 billion in H1 2024; Net Interest Income, which rose to ₦420.4 billion, compared to ₦326.4 billion in H1 2024; and Customer Deposits, which grew to ₦7.2 trillion, from ₦5.9 trillion in FY 2024.

Similarly, the bank’s Net Revenue increased to ₦444.4 billion, compared to ₦396.8 billion in H1 2024.

Fidelity Bank continued to expand its digital banking footprint, enhance customer experience, and support key sectors of the economy. The bank’s loan book grew, with Net Loans and Advances expanding to ₦4.9 trillion, up from ₦4.4 trillion in FY 2024, reflecting increased support for businesses and individuals. Asset quality remained stable, with non-performing loans well within acceptable limits.

The bank’s capital-raising initiatives have further strengthened its financial position, ensuring it is ready to meet new regulatory requirements and pursue growth opportunities. Fidelity Bank’s strong liquidity profile and robust governance framework provide a solid foundation for continued success.

Ranked among the best banks in Nigeria, Fidelity Bank Plc is a full-fledged Commercial Deposit Money Bank serving over 9.1 million customers through digital banking channels, 255 business offices in Nigeria, and a United Kingdom subsidiary, FidBank UK Limited.

CSOs Warn Nigerian Delegation Against Industry Influence as Tobacco COP11 Opens in Geneva

By
blacktalker
-
0
CSOs Warn Nigerian Delegation Against Industry Influence as Tobacco COP11 Opens in Geneva

Civil society organisations working in tobacco control have urged Nigeria’s delegation to the Eleventh Session of the Conference of the Parties, COP11, to the World Health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, WHO-FCTC, to resist pressure from the tobacco industry as global negotiations open in Geneva, Switzerland, on Monday.

In a joint statement, the groups expressed concern over what they described as a renewed global push by the tobacco industry and its allies to infiltrate COP11 discussions through proxies.

According to them, the strategy aims to persuade delegates to endorse and legitimise nicotine-based and emerging products, including e-cigarettes, under the guise of harm reduction.

The organisations, including the Nigeria Tobacco Control Alliance, NTCA, Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa, CAPPA, Gatefield, Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria ERA/FoEN, and the Centre for Youth Inclusion and Development, warned the delegation not to “sell out Nigeria’s public health.”

They also demanded that Nigerian officials reject any funding, partnership, or influence linked to the tobacco industry, stressing that delegates will be held accountable for any actions that undermine efforts to curb tobacco and nicotine addiction.

The CSOs reminded the delegation of their obligations under the National Tobacco Control Act, specifically Sections 25–28, 33–34, and 38(2), which prohibit government officials and agencies from maintaining financial or non-financial relationships with the tobacco industry and its proxies.

They also cited Article 5.3 of the WHO FCTC, which requires Parties to protect public health policies from the commercial interests of tobacco companies.

“We are aware that the tobacco industry and its front groups are working overtime to manipulate discussions at COP11, pushing narratives that normalise nicotine addiction and weaken existing tobacco control measures,” the statement read. “Nigeria must not be complicit in this devious strategy.”

The advocates urged the government to demonstrate leadership by safeguarding Nigerians, particularly young people, from what they described as aggressive market expansion tactics by multinational tobacco corporations.

They warned that while tobacco already kills over seven million people globally each year, the industry is now using “shiny gadgets, false marketing and manipulation of regulatory officials” to target a new generation with novel nicotine products, which they described as “the new faces of the same deadly business.”

“These so-called alternatives are not solutions. They are devices through which the industry hopes to continue profiting at the expense of public health,” they added.

The groups emphasised that industry interference remains the biggest barrier to effective tobacco control and warned that embracing nicotine-based products could reverse gains made under Nigeria’s tobacco control laws.

“We call on Nigerian delegates to stand firm with the global public health community, resist any form of industry influence, and support decisions that advance a tobacco-free future,” they said.

COP11, held from 17–22 November, will bring together 183 Parties to the Convention to consider decisions aimed at strengthening global tobacco control and preventing nicotine addiction.

This will be followed by the Meeting of the Parties (MOP) from 24–26 November, where discussions will focus on strengthening the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products.

LAMATA Commander Pays Courtesy Visit to Lagos State Security Trust Fund

By
blacktalker
-
0
LAMATA Commander Pays Courtesy Visit to Lagos State Security Trust Fund

Commander of the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority, LAMATA Police Unit, CSP Kuranga Yero Kehinde, has paid a courtesy and familiarisation visit to the Lagos State Security Trust Fund, LSSTF.

This is part of ongoing efforts to strengthen security collaboration across Lagos’ transport corridors.

During the visit to the Fund’s headquarters in Lagos, CSP Kehinde was received by the Executive Secretary/CEO of LSSTF, Dr. Ayodele Ogunsan, who commended the Commander’s proactive engagement and reiterated the Fund’s commitment to supporting security agencies working to keep Lagos safe.

Dr. Ogunsan and CSP Kehinde engaged in discussions to enhance operational synergy between the transport authority and the Fund. Also present during the visit were LSSTF’s Administrative Director, Mr. Adegbola Lewis, and ASP Salami Adeniyi.

The visit forms part of LAMATA’s ongoing efforts to deepen cooperation with key security institutions to ensure improved safety for commuters and transport infrastructure across the state.

Nigeria To Step Up Drive for Intra-African Trade With Maiden C-PACT Conference

By
blacktalker
-
0
Nigeria Customs Extends Deadline for Migration to AEO Programme

The Nigeria Customs Service NCS has highlighted the country’s renewed commitment to deepening continental trade integration and strengthening Customs-led reforms ahead of the maiden Customs Partnership for African Cooperation in Trade, C-PACT Conference.

Comptroller-General of NCS, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, who stated this on Friday while briefing State House correspondents, described the upcoming C-PACT Conference, to be held in Abuja from 17 to 19 November 2025, as a major step toward aligning Customs operations across the continent.

Speaking at the Presidential Villa under the State House “Meet the Press” platform, Adeniyi said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s recent approval of an extension of his mandate came with new performance targets centred on trade facilitation, port decongestion, and enhanced customs reforms.

According to him, the President’s directives reflect the administration’s shift toward leveraging trade as a key engine of economic expansion.

“Mr President has made it very clear that he intends to use trade to promote economic development and alleviate poverty,” he said. “I was not surprised that the implementation of the continental free trade agreement was specifically mentioned in my renewed mandate.”

Adeniyi said the Customs Service has since intensified engagements with Customs administrations across Africa, including talks with the Secretary-General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) during a recent visit to Ghana.

He stressed that the successful implementation of AfCFTA would depend heavily on Customs involvement, particularly in enforcing rules of origin and managing preferential trade regimes.

“For many years, regional trade arrangements struggled because Customs was not brought in early enough,” he said. “If we must achieve the objectives of AfCFTA, Customs must play its role.”

Adeniyi also announced that Nigeria will host the Secretary-General of the World Customs Organisation (WCO), Ian Sanders, for the first time, an honour he described as a recognition of Nigeria’s rising influence in continental trade diplomacy.

He further highlighted rising export volumes, noting a more than 30 per cent increase in the last two years. The challenge, he said, is to redirect more Nigerian exports toward African markets.

The CGC acknowledged the support of the Federal Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, AFREXIMBANK, the Nigerian Export Promotion Council, port authorities and other trade agencies, describing the current alignment as “a historic window” for Nigeria to assert leadership in Africa’s economic transformation.

”Over 30 Customs administrations have registered for the summit, 22 of them led by Directors-General, alongside a strong turnout from private-sector stakeholders.”

Adeniyi urged the State House Press Corps to raise public awareness ahead of the conference, noting that the opening day will feature direct engagement with private-sector operators from across the continent to identify lingering barriers to the free movement of goods.

Sanwo-Olu Hails Health Emergency Initiative as Group Marks 10 Years of Lifesaving Impact

By
blacktalker
-
0
Sanwo-Olu Hails Health Emergency Initiative as Group Marks 10 Years of Lifesaving Impact
L-R Mr Femi Akingbade Executive Secretary Healthcare Federation of Nigeria (HFN); Barr Mrs Nnenna Nwaokobia BOT Member & Legal Adviser Health Emergency Initiative (HEI); Mr Oladele Akinyemi HEI BOT Member; Dr Emmanuel Imafidon Chairman HEI Board of Trustees; Mr Paschal Achunine Ashoka Fellow and Executive Director HEI; Dr (Mrs) Cecilia Mabogunje Representative of Lagos State Governor & Permanent Secretary Health Service Commission; Professor Augustine Onyeaghala, Member HEI BOT; Mr Amrish Singhal Chief Operating Officer,Spectranet

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has applauded the Health Emergency Initiative, HEI, for a decade of lifesaving interventions across Nigeria

Sanwo-Olu, who gave the commendation during HEI’s 10th anniversary celebration, described the organisation as a model of compassion, accountability, and effective community service.

The Governor, represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Health Services Commission, Abimbola Mabogunje, praised HEI for providing critical emergency support to vulnerable citizens and strengthening the country’s emergency response system.

He noted that in ten years, the organisation has assisted more than 50,000 people, including accident victims and indigent patients in 16 states, trained over 149,000 first responders, supported more than 8,000 malnourished children, and partnered with 95 hospitals nationwide.

Sanwo-Olu highlighted the strategic partnership between Lagos State and HEI, especially the five-year state approval for first aid and CPR training in schools, and commended the group’s contribution during the COVID-19 pandemic.

He also referenced the Microsoft global grant awarded to HEI, which contributed to improving infant survival rates to 82 percent, while pledging continued collaboration to strengthen emergency care and ensure that no Nigerian dies due to lack of timely medical help.

“HEI has demonstrated what is possible when compassion meets accountability,” Sanwo-Olu said. “The Lagos State Government will continue to support initiatives that save lives and protect vulnerable people.”

Also speaking was the Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, Dr. Kemi Ogunyemi, who was represented by Oluwatoyin Akinyemi of the One Health family, praised HEI for its decade-long impact in reducing avoidable deaths and supporting vulnerable patients.

She reaffirmed the state’s commitment to expanding partnerships and increasing community-driven emergency response nationwide.

Executive Director of HEI, Paschal Achunine, said the organisation was established to close critical gaps in emergency healthcare, particularly for Nigerians unable to afford urgent medical treatment.

With more than 133 million Nigerians living in multidimensional poverty, Achunine said, too many lives are lost over small but urgent hospital bills.

He outlined HEI’s four-point agenda: providing financial support for indigent patients, training first responders, acting as next-of-kin for road accident and disaster victims, and combating malnutrition among children aged 0 to 5

According to him, more than 147,500 first responders, including police officers, firefighters, commercial drivers, and students, have been trained to act promptly at accident scenes rather than record victims with their phones.

He also announced that it has impacted over 35,700 patients and supported more than 56,800 emergency victims nationwide, working with over 85 hospitals across the country.

Achunine highlighted progress in tackling child malnutrition, revealing that more than 8,200 children have benefited from HEI’s nutrition intervention programmes.

To scale up efforts, he said HEI launched a new Malnutrition Intervention Fund, calling on donors, government agencies, and private-sector partners to support expanded nationwide intervention.

Earlier, HEI Board Chairman, Emmanuel Imafidon, unveiled the organisation’s 2026–2031 strategic vision, which includes: expanding operations to all 36 states, increasing partner hospitals to 1,000, and training 750,000 more first responders, and supporting 50,000 malnourished children

Imafidon described the launch of the new Malnutrition Alleviation Fund as a major step in tackling one of Nigeria’s most urgent child-health challenges.

The 10th anniversary celebration featured a panel session, awards presentation, and testimonials from beneficiaries, drawing healthcare workers, students, government officials, and partners who gathered to honour HEI’s decade of lifesaving service.

World Diabetes Day: CAPPA Supports National Emergency Calls on Diabetes Care

By
blacktalker
-
0
CAPPA Condemns Police Crackdown on Lagos Demolition Protest

Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa, CAPPA has supported the Diabetes Association of Nigeria, DAN in urging the federal government to declare a national emergency on diabetes care.

It also called for an increase in the sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) tax, alongside other healthy-food policies as the world commemorates the 2025 World Diabetes Day,

CAPPA described as “alarming” recent reports that an estimated 30,000 Nigerians die yearly from diabetes, while approximately 11.4 million others are living with the disease. This is significantly higher than the International Diabetes Federation’s estimate of roughly 2.99 million adults with diabetes in Nigeria.

The NGO expressed concern that the average monthly cost of diabetes management now ranges between N100,000 and N120,000, making proper care unattainable for many Nigerians, particularly in the current economic climate.

“This is yet another troubling statistic on Nigeria’s noncommunicable disease (NCD) burden and the state of the country’s public health system,” CAPPA stated. “It is no wonder that Nigeria’s life expectancy is the lowest globally, according to the latest UN global health report.”

Executive Director of CAPPA, Akinbode Oluwafemi, emphasized that unhealthy diets and sugary drinks are major drivers of NCDs. He warned that without decisive policy interventions, future generations risk lifelong dependence on high-sugar products, leading to obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and early mortality.

CAPPA urged the government to implement an effective SSB tax, sodium reduction targets, mandatory front-of-pack labelling (FOPL), and restrictions on marketing ultra-processed foods to children. These measures, the group said, are proven to reduce NCD risk, generate health-sector revenue, and empower consumers to make informed dietary choices.

“The Federal Government’s efforts to channel revenues from taxes on tobacco, alcohol, and other harmful products into health financing are significant,” Oluwafemi said. “Dedicating these funds to NCD prevention and management would provide the predictable resources Nigeria urgently needs.”

This year’s World Diabetes Day, themed “Diabetes across life stages,” highlights that diabetes can affect individuals at every stage of life, including during pregnancy. CAPPA’s ongoing campaigns for an SSB tax of at least N130 per litre and mandatory nutrition labelling are part of a broader effort to create healthier food environments and protect Nigerians from aggressive industry practices.

1...99100101...271Page 100 of 271