Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa, CAPPA has premiered a new documentary titled Sweet Poison, highlighting the health and environmental dangers associated with the growing consumption of Sugar-Sweetened Beverages, SSBs in Nigeria.
The 20-minute documentary was unveiled during a media presentation in Lagos on Wednesday, with CAPPA describing the film as an exploration of how ultra-processed food and beverage companies have embedded sugary drinks into everyday Nigerian life through aggressive marketing and extensive market penetration.
According to the organisation, the documentary examines the increasing prevalence of diet-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as Type 2 Diabetes, hypertension, obesity and cardiovascular disease, which it links to excessive sugary drink consumption.
CAPPA stated that the film combines expert analysis, personal experiences and visual storytelling to expose both the public health and environmental consequences of sugary beverage consumption.
The documentary features interviews and perspectives from policymakers, medical professionals, traders, fishermen, students and individuals living with non-communicable diseases, while also examining issues such as plastic pollution and the environmental impact of beverage production processes.
Speaking after the premiere, CAPPA Executive Director, Akinbode Oluwafemi, said the documentary was designed to connect public health evidence with lived realities across Nigerian communities.
“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.
Oluwafemi said the documentary also highlights CAPPA’s advocacy efforts aimed at increasing youth participation in policy engagement at national and sub-national levels.
According to him, the major focus of the film is Nigeria’s current Sugar-Sweetened Beverage tax policy introduced under the Finance Act 2021, which imposed a N10 per litre excise tax on sweetened and carbonated non-alcoholic drinks.
The CAPPA boss argued that the current tax structure has not significantly altered consumer behaviour or effectively addressed harmful industry practices.
He called for a revised framework, proposing a 50 percent excise tax on the final retail price of SSB products, or at least a minimum of 20 percent, alongside dedicated allocation of tax revenues to healthcare and public health interventions.
“With the burden of non-communicable diseases rising and healthcare costs climbing, Nigeria cannot afford half-measures. A stronger SSB tax is a fiscal tool, and a necessary public health intervention,” Oluwafemi added.
Among guests present at the screening were Saheed Babajide, diabetes advocate Ronke Opaleye, Founder of the Diabetes & Limb Salvage Foundation, Osarenkhoe Chima-Nwogwugwu, Chief Executive Officer of Stradev Nigeria, Leslie Adogame, and publisher of Nigeria Health Online, Sam Eferaro.
The documentary premiered on TVC News on May 5, 2026, and is currently airing across multiple media platforms nationwide.
Viewers can also watch the documentary on CAPPA’s official YouTube channel and across the organisation’s social media platforms.
