By Chioma Obinna

Health experts have called on the Nigerian government to adopt a multi-sectoral, evidence-driven approach to tackle the rising burden of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) in the country, warning that failure to do so could overwhelm the healthcare system and compromise national development.

The charge was made during a one-day capacity-building workshop for journalists organised by the Brand Journalists Association of Nigeria, BJAN, in Lagos.

The event, themed “Rethinking the NCDs Crisis: Having a Holistic Approach to the Debate in Nigeria”, drew public health experts, policy analysts, and communication professionals to explore Nigeria’s growing NCD crisis and the role of the media in shaping public awareness and policy change.

In his keynote lecture titled “Understanding the Many Factors Behind NCDs”, public health physician, Dr. Ajibola Arewa said Nigeria is witnessing a worrying rise in deaths caused by non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular conditions, diabetes, cancers, and chronic respiratory illnesses.

Citing data from the World Health Organization (WHO), Arewa noted that NCDs accounted for 24 percent of total deaths in Nigeria in 2011, rising to 29% in 2021—an increase of over 21% within just nine years.

“This increase may continue shortly if certain factors are not addressed. NCDs are not caused by a single issue; they are the result of multiple factors poor lifestyle choices, unhealthy diets, weak environmental standards, and a health system strained by a doctor-patient ratio of 1 to 5,000, far below the WHO-recommended 1 to 600,” he said.

Arewa criticised narrow policy responses such as the taxation of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), saying they are not supported by sufficient evidence and fail to address the root causes.
“Taxing sugar alone is a malicious and oversimplified response. Sugar itself is not the enemy — overconsumption and lack of regulation are. What we need is public education, proper food labelling, and access to healthier alternatives,” he said.

“Government must go beyond token policies. We need full implementation of existing strategies, investment in preventive healthcare, and support for community-led fitness and nutrition campaigns.”

He also called for tax incentives for healthier product formulation, support for small businesses during the transition to healthy options, and improved accountability in the health sector.

Earlier, BJAN President, Mr. Daniel Obi, said the role of journalists in public health reporting was critical, especially as misinformation and poor framing of health narratives can lead to policy missteps.

“As Brand Journalists, our work often revolves around storytelling and perception management. But our impact is greatest when we lend our voices to issues that touch lives and health is one of the most important,” Obi said.

“We urge organisations to invest in media training and equip journalists with the tools to report health issues accurately, sensitively, and responsibly.”

Also speaking on the importance of evidence-based data in health policymaking, public health consultant, Dr. Yvonne Olaloku stressed that policies must be backed by rigorous research to ensure effectiveness and equity.

“Health policies must be informed by reliable data so that they address the real problems, target the right populations, and are implemented without discrimination,” she said.

“We also need strong collaboration between researchers, policymakers, healthcare providers, and civil society. Without proper research, policy formulation, implementation, and evaluation become guesswork.”

Olaloku emphasised the importance of accountability, transparency, and inclusive data collection in ensuring that health interventions reach all Nigerians fairly.

In his contribution, Dr. Godswill Iboma, who spoke on “Lifestyle and Environment in NCDs Prevention”, outlined everyday practices and environmental factors that heighten NCD risks.

He highlighted smoking, physical inactivity, alcohol abuse, high salt intake, and air pollution as key risk factors and recommended nationwide public health campaigns to promote exercise, stress management, mental health care, and clean energy initiatives.

“Lifestyle and environment are the biggest drivers of NCDs. If we can change how people eat, move, work, and live, we will see dramatic reductions in preventable diseases,” he said.

Participants at the event agreed that journalists have a critical role to play in bridging the gap between scientific knowledge and public understanding and called for continuous capacity building, collaborative research, and media-policy engagement.