The Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to rethink his administration’s support for corporations like Coca-Cola, which it accuses of flouting Nigerian laws and endangering public health.
In a recent statement, CAPPA criticized Coca-Cola’s renewed $1 billion investment pledge to Nigeria over five years, calling it a “recycled, unfulfilled” promise made previously to the Muhammadu Buhari administration.
CAPPA claimed that Coca-Cola failed to deliver on its earlier commitment and accused the company of using the promise of investment to whitewash its tarnished reputation.
“It is a matter of grave concern that the news is once again awash with Coca-Cola’s promise of a $1 billion investment in Nigeria. This is the second time in three years that the company has made this hollow pledge to different ruling governments,” CAPPA’s statement read.
The organization pointed out that Coca-Cola’s history in Nigeria has been marred by regulatory infractions and deceptive trade practices. CAPPA referenced a 2017 Lagos High Court ruling, which found Coca-Cola’s products to contain harmful chemicals, including sunset yellow and benzoic acid, which can form the carcinogen benzene when combined with Vitamin C. Despite the court’s mandate to label its products with warnings, CAPPA claimed that Coca-Cola has refused to comply with the directive.
“This contempt and disregard for public health and judicial authority should disqualify the company from receiving any form of state endorsement,” the statement added.
CAPPA further highlighted the recent findings by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), which in July 2024, exposed Coca-Cola for deceptive marketing practices, including misleading consumers about its “Less Sugar” variant.
Akinbode Oluwafemi, CAPPA’s Executive Director, questioned the government’s decision to embrace a company with a record of non-compliance and harmful practices.
“The Nigerian government must ask itself what it truly stands to gain by endorsing a multinational corporation whose products are actively contributing to a public health crisis in the country,” said Oluwafemi.
He pointed to the growing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like diabetes and heart disease, which are linked to sugar-sweetened beverages like Coca-Cola’s products, warning that the long-term public health costs far outweigh any potential economic gains from the investment.
CAPPA also expressed concern over the potential impact of the government’s relationship with Coca-Cola on Nigeria’s Sugar-Sweetened Beverages (SSBs) tax, introduced in 2021 to curb the consumption of sugary drinks and tackle the rise of NCDs.
“The government’s cozy relationship with the beverage corporation could jeopardize the smooth implementation and enforcement of the SSB tax,” CAPPA warned, adding that public health advocates have called for an increase in the tax to align with global best practices.
The organization concluded by urging the Tinubu administration to prioritize public health and distance itself from corporate lawbreakers.
“We call on the Nigerian government to defend public health without scruples and consider genuine ethical investments that rank the well-being of Nigerians over empty promises and profit-driven deception,” the statement concluded.
