NGOs are calling for stronger anti-tobacco laws in Nigeria and the rejection of all industrial influence.

The organization Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has urged the Nigerian federal government to significantly increase funding allocated to tobacco control.[1]. In a statement released Sunday in Abuja, Director General Akinbode Oluwafemi deemed current funding woefully inadequate in the face of the growing threat from tobacco and new nicotine products. He also called on the government to protect public policies from the influence of the tobacco industry.

The health and financial threat of tobacco and new nicotine products

Tobacco already causes nearly 30,000 deaths per year in Nigeria, with health expenditures related to non-communicable diseases exceeding 211 billion naira (133 million euros).[2] and 5.6 % of adults aged 15 and over who smoke, with a much higher prevalence in men (10 %) than in women (1.1 %).

Oluwafemi also points to the influx of e-cigarettes and other smoke-free devices, particularly targeting those under 35 through digital marketing, influencers, and misleading claims. He denounces the tobacco industry's strategy of using a harm reduction narrative to promote all their new products and thus perpetuating the nicotine epidemic. The report «New Smoke Trap: New and Emerging Nicotine and Tobacco Products, Youth Exposure and Policy Gaps in Nigeria» particularly reflects the progress of these new products.

According to Mr. Oluwafemi, the Tobacco Control Fund (TCF), created by the Nigerian Tobacco Control Alliance (NTCA) in 2015, remains underfunded and inoperative.« This limits essential activities such as public awareness campaigns, enforcement of tobacco control regulations, monitoring of industry practices, compliance with existing regulations, and research into emerging trends. »" he laments.

The CAPPA director also stressed the need for sustained investment in alternative livelihoods for tobacco farmers, noting that the transition to safer and more sustainable crops required technical support, training, and financial assistance.

CAPPA also advocates for raising tobacco taxes to 100 %, with a portion of the revenue reinvested in public health. Without swift action, it warns, Nigeria risks a new wave of addiction and increased strain on its healthcare system.

" Investing in tobacco control will save lives, reduce healthcare costs, and protect the next generation from addiction. »" Oluwafemi added.

The tobacco industry, which is particularly influential in the country

At an event organized by the NTCA, CAPPA, and the Global Center for Good Governance in Tobacco Control, the results of a study on tobacco industry interference in the country were released. The findings show that the country is heavily influenced by industry and that the situation has not improved over the years. Globally, Nigeria ranks 54th.^e out of 100 countries studied and 13^e out of 18 African countries that conducted this study, Akinbode Oluwafemi (CAPPA) highlighted conflicts of interest among public authorities and the use of corporate social responsibility (CSR) by tobacco companies to improve their image.

These activities, such as well drilling and fish farming, are promoted through sustained communication involving local authorities. These practices contravene the obligations of Article 5.3 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), which the country has ratified.

Public health stakeholders have called for a ban on these CSR activities by the tobacco industry and for ensuring that government officials are never involved in tobacco sector activities. Such measures already exist in many countries, including Finland, France, Ethiopia, Gabon, and Brazil. Similarly, public health stakeholders are calling for increased transparency, measures to prevent conflicts of interest, and the creation of a public registry of information disclosed by the tobacco industry.

©Generation Without Tobacco

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[1]Deji Abdulwahab, CAPPA urges govt to increase tobacco control budget, Environews Nigeria, published on March 30, 2026, accessed the same day

[2]Drope J, Hamill S, Country profile: Nigeria,The Tobacco Atlas, New York: Vital Strategies and Economics for Health, updated in 2025, accessed March 31, 2026

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