World Diabetes Day: CAPPA backs call for state of emergency as Diabetes deaths hit 30,000 annually in Nigeria

World Diabetes Day: CAPPA backs call for state of emergency as Diabetes deaths hit 30,000 annually in Nigeria

By James Ike

As Nigeria joins the global community to mark World Diabetes Day, Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has called for urgent government action to confront the country’s worsening diabetes crisis.

CAPPA endorsed the Diabetes Association of Nigeria’s (DAN) appeal for the Federal Government to declare a national emergency on diabetes care and raise the sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) tax as part of broader healthy-food policies.

CAPPA’s Media and Communication Officer, Robert Egbe in a statement described as “alarming” a recent revelation by DAN that an estimated 30,000 Nigerians die from diabetes every year, while about 11.4 million others are currently living with the disease. The group noted that this figure far exceeds the International Diabetes Federation’s (IDF) estimate of 2.99 million adults and a national prevalence rate of 3 per cent.

The organisation also expressed concern that the average monthly cost of diabetes treatment has risen to between ₦100,000 and ₦120,000, placing effective care far beyond the reach of most citizens. It warned that many Nigerians could face fatal outcomes as poverty and economic hardship undermine access to essential medication and monitoring.

“This is yet another troubling statistic on the state of Nigeria’s noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) burden and the country’s public health system,” CAPPA said. “It is no wonder that Nigeria’s life expectancy is the lowest globally, according to the latest United Nations health report.”

Akinbode Oluwafemi, Executive Director of CAPPA, said the rising diabetes burden and declining life expectancy highlight the urgent need for decisive policy interventions particularly those aimed at reducing consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and other unhealthy foods.

According to him, aggressive marketing and widespread availability of sugary drinks are reshaping diets nationwide, exposing millions to risks of obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and early death.

CAPPA argued that proven measures such as stronger SSB taxation, sodium reduction targets, front-of-pack nutrition labelling and restrictions on marketing ultra-processed foods to children would help curb the NCD epidemic. The group added that even the best preventive policies must be backed by a stronger health system capable of supporting the millions already living with diabetes.

It commended the Federal Government’s ongoing efforts to allocate tax revenues from harmful products like tobacco and alcohol to health financing, urging authorities to dedicate such funds to NCD prevention and patient care.

CAPPA reiterated its campaign for an SSB tax of at least ₦130 per litre and mandatory front-of-pack labelling, noting that both measures align with global evidence and could drive down sugar consumption, promote product reformulation and generate revenue for health-sector investment.

This year’s World Diabetes Day, themed “Diabetes Across Life Stages,” underscores that the disease affects individuals at every phase of life, including pregnancy.