World Cancer Day 2026: Tackle Cancer by Fixing Nigeria’s Broken Food System, CAPPA Urges Govt

The Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has expressed solidarity with millions of people affected by cancer worldwide, while urging Nigerian authorities to confront the growing link between cancer and the country’s broken food system.

In a statement to mark the World Cancer Day 2026, themed “United by Unique,” the public interest organisation warned that cancer is no longer a distant threat in Nigeria but a rapidly growing public health crisis. 

It cited figures from the National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment showing that the country records no fewer than 72,000 cancer-related deaths and over 120,000 new cases annually.

CAPPA noted that while genetic and environmental factors contribute to cancer risk, mounting evidence increasingly links the rise in colorectal, breast and prostate cancers to unhealthy diets, ultra-processed foods, and the way food is produced, marketed and consumed in Nigeria.

The organisation therefore called on federal and state governments “to implement proactive measures to curb this public health crisis by fixing the cracks in our food system that are contributing to the rising burden of cancer and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Nigeria.”

According to CAPPA, these cracks include the unchecked marketing and consumption of ultra-processed foods, weak regulation of tobacco and emerging nicotine products, excessive intake of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), and high salt consumption, all of which are established risk factors for cancer and other NCDs.

“We urge the government to place renewed focus on strengthening healthy food policies,” the statement said. 

It outlined priority actions to include stricter regulation of tobacco and nicotine products, an upward review of the tobacco control budget, development of a national guideline to reduce salt consumption, and the implementation of mandatory salt targets for processed and pre-packaged foods.

CAPPA also called for a review of the sugar-sweetened beverage tax from the current N10 per litre to 50 per cent of the final retail price, restrictions on the marketing of unhealthy foods to children, and the adoption of clear nutrition standards for schools, hospitals and other public institutions.

Recognising tobacco as one of the biggest preventable causes of cancer, the organisation urged full implementation of the National Tobacco Control Act. 

It further called for the inclusion of new and emerging nicotine products in the ban on all forms of tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship, higher tobacco excise taxes adjusted for inflation, and stricter enforcement against illicit tobacco and nicotine products trade.

CAPPA also renewed its commendation of the Federal Government’s plan to earmark pro-health taxes for cancer prevention and care, noting that such measures would help reduce out-of-pocket healthcare spending and strengthen the health system.

The statement stressed that cancer control must be treated as a development priority, warning that Nigeria’s already overstretched health sector is nearing collapse.

It cited media reports indicating that the country has only about 40,000 doctors serving a population of over 200 million.

“Nigeria cannot treat its way out of the cancer crisis,” CAPPA said. “Prevention-focused policies, especially those related to tobacco, food and alcohol, offer some of the biggest and most cost-effective gains. When combined with early detection, sustainable health financing and accountability, they can save thousands of lives every year.”