By Paul Effiong, Abuja
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Senator Ipalibo Banigo, has pledged to push for the speedy concurrence by the House of Representatives on her recently passed Customs, Excise Tariff, Etc. (Consolidation) Act (Amendment) Bill, 2025 (SB. 713). Senator Banigo, who spoke in Abuja while receiving members of the Coalition for Healthy Food Advocacy and the National Sugar-Sweetened Beverages Tax Coalition, NSSBT,) on a courtesy visit, thanked the groups for their support in championing the bill. In her remarks, the senator commended the Senate leadership for passing the legislation, describing it as a major milestone in Nigeria’s fight against non-communicable diseases, NCDs, and a critical step towards strengthening public health financing.
She disclosed that the bill is currently awaiting transmission to the House of Representatives for concurrence. Banigo admitted that she was unaccustomed to receiving public praise, saying she was motivated more by service than recognition.”I am so used to working that I am not used to receiving gratitude. I am wired to do the work and see the results,” she said. She expressed appreciation to the coalition for its unwavering support throughout the legislative process and commended its members for providing the research, data and scientific evidence that strengthened the bill. According to her, the coalition’s technical support enabled lawmakers to better appreciate the urgency of addressing the growing burden of non-communicable diseases in Nigeria.
The senator also lamented the rising incidence of diabetes, obesity and other lifestyle-related diseases, noting that they continue to overwhelm the country’s already fragile healthcare system while imposing enormous financial burdens on affected families. Providing an overview of the proposed legislation, Banigo said the bill was carefully designed to reverse the trend through preventive public health measures. Drawing on her decades of experience as a medical doctor, consultant dermatologist, health educator and public servant, she said she had witnessed first-hand the devastating impact of preventable diseases on Nigerians.
She maintained that she could not remain silent on issues affecting public health because they had defined her professional life. Banigo described the proposed sugar-sweetened beverages tax as more than a public health intervention, calling it an innovative domestic health financing mechanism that would strengthen healthcare delivery while encouraging healthier lifestyles. According to her, investing in disease prevention would save Nigeria far more resources than treating complications arising from chronic illnesses.
She noted that preventable diseases not only reduce productivity but also adversely affect maternal and child health outcomes, citing complications associated with diabetes during pregnancy. She reiterated that prevention remains “better and cheaper than care,” adding that healthier citizens would contribute more meaningfully to national development.The senator acknowledged that the bill faced resistance from vested commercial interests and concerns over lifestyle changes. However, she said lawmakers relied on scientific evidence and extensive stakeholder consultations to justify the proposed legislation.
She stressed that public interest ultimately outweighed private commercial considerations, explaining that her committee conducted wide-ranging consultations involving the Federal Ministries of Health and Finance, the Nigeria Customs Service, industry stakeholders, civil society organisations and other relevant agencies before recommending the bill for passage. According to her, the inclusive process strengthened confidence in the legislation, even as she urged advocacy groups to sustain public awareness campaigns.
Earlier, the Coordinator of the National Sugar-Sweetened Beverages Tax Coalition, Opeyemi Ibitoye, said the delegation visited to express its profound appreciation to Senator Banigo for standing firmly behind the legislation despite stiff opposition. She recalled the numerous challenges encountered during efforts to introduce the tax but praised the senator for her steadfast commitment to advancing public health in Nigeria.
Ibitoye said Banigo’s leadership would leave a lasting legacy in Nigeria’s health sector, noting that her contributions to several public health bills had demonstrated exceptional courage and dedication to protecting the lives of Nigerians. Also speaking, the Executive Director of Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa, CAPPA, Akinbode Oluwafemi, appealed to the senator to continue using her office and influence to advance public health advocacy.
He described Banigo as one of the strongest voices for health sector reforms in the National Assembly and urged her to engage the leadership of both chambers to ensure the House of Representatives grants speedy concurrence to the bill. Oluwafemi added that many government institutions were already celebrating the Senate’s action but cautioned that “the race is not over yet,” stressing that the legislation would only achieve its intended objective after concurrence by the House of Representatives and eventual presidential assent by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
