Health warnings: Nigeria renews its messages and adopts illustrations

Enacted in 2019 and instituted in June 2021, graphic health warnings must be present on all tobacco products in Nigeria and are subject to renewal from June 2023.

Article 11 of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) makes it very clear: packets of cigarettes and other tobacco products should systematically carry text health warnings, combined with photos or illustrations; they should also occupy at least 50% of the main surfaces of the packets and be regularly renewed.

Changing these health warnings is therefore an opportunity for Nigeria to remain in compliance with the FCTC and meet its obligations as a party to the treaty. It is also an opportunity for anti-smoking organisations to test the government's resolve in this area.

Tobacco Industry Pressures in Nigeria

Nigeria is indeed a land of desire for the tobacco industry. The sixth most populous country in the world with 219 million inhabitants in 2021, nearly half of whom are under 15 years old, Nigeria represents a key market for the tobacco industry in sub-Saharan Africa. The Nigerian authorities have long been the subject of a intense lobbying from tobacco companies, whether to slow down the implementation of public health measures or to obtain commercial advantages for their products. In 2020, a civil society organization led by the Nigeria Tobacco Control Alliance (NTCA) had thus foiled a project of “policy on conventional tobacco and non-combustible alternatives to smoking” concocted by industrialists for the authorities.

Particular vigilance from public health organizations

It is for these reasons that anti-smoking organisations are particularly vigilant about the application of public health measures and remain very attentive to the issue of health warnings and compliance with all the provisions of the fight anti-tobacco. Although decided and enacted in 2019, the deadline granted to manufacturers set at June 23, 2021, two years after the decision, had particularly alerted health organizations who know that the measure only requires a few months to be implemented. Civil society organizations were thus very concerned about the additional period of 150 days granted at that time to tobacco manufacturers to comply[1]Civil society is now ensuring that the renewal of graphic health warnings is carried out under correct conditions, in particular on the issue of the rotation of messages and visuals used.

This renewal of health warnings is indeed due to come into force on June 23, 2023.[2]Until 2021, cigarette packets carried a single, unillustrated health message, which vaguely stated: "Federal Health Minister warns smokers likely to die young". Public health organizations had therefore insisted on more explicit health messages and visuals to alert people to the many pathologies induced by smoking. This had resulted in the adoption of new text warnings combined with visuals.

Keywords: Nigeria, graphic health warnings, CCLAT.

M.F.

[1] Omamiyeren G, MDA collaboration, key to enforcing tobacco graphic health warning policy, Vanguard, published January 25, 2022, accessed April 5, 2023.

[2] Ashibel P, Keeping up with Graphic Health Warnings policy – why FG must be proactive, Vanguard, published April 3, 2023, accessed April 5, 2023.