By Bunmi Yekini
The Renevlyn Development Initiative (RDI) has called on Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations and the country’s delegation to champion stronger language on alcohol harms in the forthcoming UN Political Declaration on Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs) and Mental Health.
RDI said Nigeria has a unique opportunity to “restore clarity, ambition, and impact” to the global fight against alcohol harms, which remain a leading yet under-addressed driver of NCDs and mental health conditions.
“The current draft falls behind previously agreed language and ambitions for accelerating action on alcohol harm as a public health priority and misses critical opportunities for coherent, science-based action,” RDI warned in a letter to Nigeria’s delegation.
The group, a member of Movendi International, the world’s largest independent movement for development through alcohol prevention, is urging Nigeria to support six key improvements in the draft. These include replacing the phrase “harmful use of alcohol” with the more precise “alcohol harm” or “per capita alcohol consumption,” reintroducing an 80% taxation target for alcohol and tobacco, retaining policy “best buys” such as limits on availability and advertising bans, and introducing safeguards against alcohol industry interference.
Other recommendations include adding alcohol screening and brief interventions to treatment commitments and aligning the declaration with the Global Alcohol Action Plan to fast-track action on alcohol harms.
RDI’s Executive Director, Philip Jakpor, stressed that Nigeria’s stance could help shape a more ambitious and effective declaration.
“The voice of the Permanent Representative and the Nigerian delegation can ensure that the declaration reflects both scientific evidence and global commitments, delivering measurable progress in protecting health, preventing disease, and safeguarding the right to well-being for all,” Jakpor said.
He added that strong leadership from Nigeria would not only advance global consensus but also address alcohol’s growing toll on public health at home.