Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Tax Could Hurt Manufacturing, Warn LCCI and CPPE

The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise caution that the proposed Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Tax Bill may worsen challenges in Nigeria’s manufacturing sector. LCCI’s Director-General Dr Chinyere Almona notes that energy costs, exchange rate swings, high interest rates and logistics bottlenecks already burden producers. She warns that extra taxes will drive up production costs, fuel inflation and weaken demand for locally made drinks. CPPE’s CEO Dr Muda Yusuf urges the House of Representatives to reject the bill. He argues the move conflicts with the government’s tax-relief goals, threatens jobs across the beverage value chain and undermines investor confidence. Both organisations call for broader stakeholder consultations and recommend focusing on public health education, voluntary product reformulation and consumer awareness. They believe this balanced approach can advance health goals while preserving industrial growth and employment.

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