In Nigeria, there are calls for regulation of heated tobacco and new nicotine products.

Of the Public health officials have raised the alarm about the rapid spread in Nigeria of heated tobacco and other new nicotine products, such as e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches. The warning was issued in Lagos during the presentation of the report "New Smoke Trap: New and Emerging Nicotine and Tobacco Products, Youth Exposure and Policy Gaps in Nigeria," published by Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA).[1], a pan-African NGO that works to promote human rights and public services, fights against the abusive exploitation of natural resources by companies and strengthens the power of communities in favor of participatory governance.

Study results: an expanding market for new products targeting young people and non-smokers

Using a mixed-methods approach, the study, conducted between October and December 2025, combined physical market mapping in Lagos, Enugu, and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, with monitoring of social media platforms (Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, X) and major e-commerce websites. These quantitative findings were enriched by interviews with key informants, who provided qualitative context regarding consumer experiences and industry strategies. Across both physical and digital environments, the research team identified a total of 781 products, 573 of which were categorized as new and emerging products.

Electronic cigarettes represent the majority, with 522 variants identified. Researchers also noted 38 nicotine sachets, mainly sold online and with nicotine concentrations ranging from 3 mg to 100 mg per sachet, and 13 heated tobacco products, indicating a phase of market expansion.

The products observed often feature colorful designs and formats reminiscent of electronic gadgets, with indications ranging from 600 to 50,000 puffs.

Prices vary greatly, ranging from 5,000 to 60,000 naira (3 to 37 €), making these products accessible to people with low incomes.

According to the NGO, these products are now widely visible and commonplace in kiosks, supermarkets (alongside snacks, electronics and cosmetics), nightlife entertainment venues and on digital platforms frequented by young people, where restrictions such as age verification systems are minimal.

Researchers indicate that some young adults interviewed (18–25 years old) start with disposable devices before moving to rechargeable systems as their nicotine addiction intensifies. Some participants reported switching from 20 mg nicotine products to 50 mg products, depending on availability.

Some users switch between products with ease, vaping in a social context, using nicotine pouches in a formal setting, and occasionally continuing to smoke tobacco cigarettes.

However, researchers found that many young people using these products had never smoked or used nicotine before. As a reminder, over 70% of Nigerians are under 30, making them a massive target for the tobacco and nicotine industry.[2].

Regulatory loopholes exploited by the industry, which is developing its narrative of "risk reduction"«

The report's authors believe this development is occurring in a context where certain products, particularly those containing synthetic nicotine, are not clearly covered by current legislation. Currently, the applicable laws refer to the 2015 National Tobacco Control Act and its 2019 regulations, which transpose the provisions of the FCTC (Fast Tobacco Control Convention). Combustible tobacco products are primarily affected. Newer nicotine products, such as e-cigarettes or nicotine pouches, are not defined as tobacco products in the current legislation, thus jeopardizing the application of rules relating to advertising, taxation, and smoke-free environments.

The authors also indicate that synthetic nicotine is pharmacologically equivalent to nicotine from tobacco and has a similar addictive potential, with increased risks for adolescents.

They also note that some nicotine sachets are presented as "tobacco-free" and usable everywhere because they are smoke-free and odorless, even in workplaces and public places, while the nicotine dosage is not always clearly indicated on the packaging.

CAPPA's Managing Director, Akinbode Oluwafemi, warned against adopting the "Quit Like Sweden" type of rhetoric, which attributes Sweden's low smoking rates to alternative nicotine products..

" Extracting a variable and importing it into Nigeria without replicating the accompanying institutional conditions is an analytically flawed approach. »" he said, emphasizing that Sweden's success was largely due to sustained taxation, advertising bans and comprehensive anti-smoking laws.

" These products are entry points, not exit points. »" said researcher Olamide Martins Ogunlade, challenging the industry narrative that these devices primarily serve as smoking cessation tools for adult smokers.

The report recommends adopting and implementing strict and comprehensive legislation covering all products

Professor Lekan Ayo-Yusuf, of the African Tobacco Industry Policy Monitoring and Research Centre, stated that« The lesson to be learned globally is simple. Early regulation protects populations. Late regulation protects markets and institutionalizes nicotine addiction. ".

The authors therefore recommend explicitly extending existing regulations to all nicotine-containing products, regardless of their form. This implies including all such products in tobacco product taxes, strengthening age verification with a ban on sales to minors, and enforcing the ban on online advertising, promotion, and sponsorship. Finally, they call for improved coordination among the relevant authorities in the areas of health, trade, standards, and digital markets to prioritize public health concerns.

They also call for regulations to focus on the addictive substance itself — nicotine — rather than solely on the presence of tobacco, and believe that products presented as smoking cessation aids should be subject to the evaluation procedures applicable to medicines.

In this context of general mobilization, Oluwafemi stressed the role of the media in shaping public understanding of the risks associated with new nicotine products, urging journalists to decipher industry rhetoric.

The stakes are all the higher because, As highlighted in CAPPA's 2025 report for Africa, Nigeria still faces a very influential tobacco industry. which manages to greatly weaken public policies and their implementation in the country.

©Generation Without Tobacco

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[1]New Smoke Trap - Emerging Nicotine & Tobacco Products, Youth Exposure and Policy Gaps in Nigeria, Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), published on February 4, 2026, accessed on February 13, 2026

[2]Titilope Joseph, CAPPA Warns Of 'New Smoke Trap' As Emerging Nicotine Products Proliferate In Nigeria, Independent, published on February 12, 2026, accessed on February 13, 2026

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