The Federal Government has announced an additional N10 excise duty tax on per litre of all non-alcoholic, carbonated and sweetened beverages, Leadership Newspaper reports.

Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, said the tax was introduced by the government to discourage intake of carbonated products like Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Sprite and other sweetened beverages that are associated with excessive sugar related sickness like obesity and diabetes.

According to reports, about four million Nigerians suffer from diabetes linked to excess sugar consumption.

The minister made the disclosure at the presentation of the 2022 budget breakdown in Abuja. The new tax law is contained in the government’s 2021 Finance Act.

The government considers the new measure as one of its 2022 budget priorities that help to raise more revenue for health-related and other critical expenditures.