NUFBTE Calls on Nigerian House to Reconsider CETA Bill
NUFBTE leadership urges the House of Representatives to withhold concurrence on the Customs, Excise Tariffs, Etc. (Consolidation) Amendment Bill, 2025 (CETA Bill).
In Brief
- •NUFBTE leadership urges the House of Representatives to withhold concurrence on the Customs, Excise Tariffs, Etc. (Consolidation) Amendment Bill, 2025 (CETA Bill).
- •The bill would replace a ₦10‑per‑litre specific tax on soft drinks with a percentage levy on the retail price of the products.
- •Union leaders warn that the new tax would add a burden to workers and the manufacturing sector amid ongoing economic reforms.
- •They cite high borrowing costs, energy and logistics expenses, foreign‑exchange constraints, and weakened consumer purchasing power as factors already straining capacity utilization.
- •The union argues the levy could trigger factory closures, retrenchments and a collapse of the value chain, affecting over a million Nigerians.
Why It Matters
The proposed change to soft‑drink taxation could significantly raise production costs for manufacturers, potentially leading to higher consumer prices and job losses in a sector that supports a large workforce. In a context where the Nigerian economy has already endured fuel‑subsidy removal and foreign‑exchange reforms, an additional tax burden may exacerbate industrial distress and undermine efforts to stabilize the manufacturing base.
Key Details
- Bill Name
- Customs, Excise Tariffs, Etc. (Consolidation) Amendment Bill, 2025
- Proposed Tax Change
- Replace ₦10‑per‑litre specific tax on soft drinks with percentage levy on retail price
- Union
- National Union of Food, Beverage, and Tobacco Employees (NUFBTE)
- Concern
- Additional burden on workers and manufacturing sector
- Economic Context
- Fuel subsidy removal and foreign exchange reforms
Context & Background
The CETA Bill is part of Nigeria’s broader economic reform agenda aimed at restructuring tax policy and addressing fiscal deficits.
Original Reporting & Sources
VNews is an independent briefing product. Original reporting remains credited to the following publishers:
This brief was synthesized automatically using attributed third-party reporting. VNews is a digital news publication produced under the VContent Group brand and operated by Francis Vincent Sunday in Ghana, independent from the publishers cited above. Read our AI Transparency Policy and Editorial & Corrections Policy.