New documentary ‘Sweet Poison’ links soft drinks to diabetes, obesity, environmental crisis

…Sugary drinks killing Nigerians silently — CAPPA

By Chioma Obinna

A fresh storm is brewing around Nigeria’s booming soft drink industry as Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) on Wednesday unveiled a hard-hitting documentary accusing sugary beverage manufacturers of fuelling a growing public health emergency in the country.

The 20-minute documentary titled “Sweet Poison”, premiered in Lagos, paints a disturbing picture of how sugar-sweetened beverages, commonly consumed daily in homes, schools and communities, are contributing to the alarming rise in non-communicable diseases, including Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, obesity and cardiovascular disease.

The non-governmental organisation warned that aggressive marketing by ultra-processed food and beverage companies has embedded sugary drinks deep into Nigerian culture, despite mounting medical evidence linking excessive consumption to life-threatening illnesses.

Unveiling the documentary at a media presentation, CAPPA Executive Director, Akinbode Oluwafemi, said Nigeria could no longer ignore what he described as a “silent but fast-growing public health crisis.”

“Sweet Poison is an attempt to connect the dots,” Oluwafemi declared. “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.”

The documentary blends expert analysis with emotional testimonies from medical professionals, policymakers, diabetes patients, traders, fishermen and students, exposing both the human and environmental costs of Nigeria’s soft drink culture.

Beyond health concerns, the film also shines a spotlight on the environmental footprint of beverage production, highlighting plastic pollution and resource-intensive manufacturing processes blamed for worsening ecological degradation.

CAPPA further questioned the effectiveness of Nigeria’s current Sugar-Sweetened Beverage, SSB, tax introduced under the Finance Act 2021, which imposed a N10 per litre excise duty on sweetened and carbonated drinks.

According to the organisation, the tax has failed to significantly change consumer behaviour or curb what it described as harmful industry practices.

The group is now pushing for tougher fiscal measures, including a 50 per cent excise tax on the final retail price of sugary drinks, or at least a minimum of 20 per cent, with part of the proceeds channelled directly into healthcare interventions and public health campaigns.

“With the burden of non-communicable diseases rising and healthcare costs climbing, Nigeria cannot afford half-measures,” Oluwafemi said. “A stronger SSB tax is not just a fiscal tool, but a necessary public health intervention.”

The premiere attracted top health stakeholders, including Lagos Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association, Dr Saheed Babajide; diabetes advocate Ronke Opaleye; Founder of Diabetes & Limb Salvage Foundation, Ms Osarenkhoe Chima-Nwogwugwu; CEO of Stradev Nigeria, Dr Leslie Adogame; and Publisher of Nigeria Health Online, Sam Eferaro.

The documentary, which first aired on TVC News on May 5, is currently being broadcast across several national media platforms and shared widely on social media. 

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