By The Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has called on the Federal Government to significantly increase funding for tobacco control, warning that Nigeria’s current allocation is insufficient to address the growing public health risks posed by tobacco use and emerging nicotine products.
In a statement signed by CAPPA’s Media and Communications Officer, Robert Egbe, the organisation urged the government to raise the annual tobacco control budget to at least N300 million, with sustained increases in subsequent fiscal cycles. CAPPA noted that existing funding levels fall short of what is required to effectively implement the National Tobacco Control Act (NTCA) 2015.
The call follows the release of CAPPA’s report titled “New Smoke Trap: New and Emerging Nicotine and Tobacco Products, Youth Exposure and Policy Gaps in Nigeria,” which highlights how tobacco companies are exploiting regulatory loopholes to introduce and promote addictive products such as electronic cigarettes, vapes, and other smokeless nicotine devices, particularly among young Nigerians.
Speaking on the development, CAPPA’s Executive Director, Akinbode Oluwafemi, warned that the rapid proliferation of these products, combined with weak enforcement and limited funding, poses a serious threat to public health.
“We are dealing with a fast-changing nicotine market that is clearly targeting young people. Without adequate funding for regulation, enforcement and public education, the country risks a new wave of addiction,” he said.
CAPPA further noted that tobacco use remains a leading cause of preventable deaths in Nigeria, accounting for nearly 30,000 fatalities annually. Citing data from the Centre for the Study of the Economies of Africa (CSEA), the group revealed that Nigerians spent over N526 billion on treating tobacco-related diseases in 2019 alone, underscoring the economic burden of tobacco consumption.
The organisation expressed concern that despite these figures, tobacco control efforts remain underfunded, limiting key interventions such as public awareness campaigns, enforcement of smoke-free regulations, monitoring of industry practices, and research into emerging nicotine trends.
CAPPA also highlighted the underutilisation of the Tobacco Control Fund (TCF), established under the NTCA as a sustainable financing mechanism. According to the group, the fund has yet to be fully operationalised and remains inadequately resourced.
The organisation stressed that increased funding would empower critical institutions, including the National Tobacco Control Committee (NATOCC) and the Tobacco Control Unit within the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, to effectively carry out their responsibilities. These include nationwide sensitisation campaigns, compliance monitoring, enforcement of advertising restrictions, and prosecution of violations.
In addition to regulation, CAPPA emphasised the need for investment in alternative livelihoods for tobacco farmers, noting that transitioning to safer and more sustainable crops requires technical support, training, and financial assistance.
The group also raised concerns about intensified digital marketing strategies by tobacco companies, including the use of social media influencers, lifestyle branding, and misleading harm-reduction claims to attract young users.
“This is a deliberate strategy to recruit new users and replace those lost to tobacco-related diseases. Government must respond by strengthening regulation and backing it with adequate funding required for enforcement,” Oluwafemi said.
In addition to increased funding, CAPPA called for stronger fiscal and regulatory measures, including raising tobacco taxes to at least 100 per cent and dedicating a portion of the revenue to public health interventions and tobacco control programmes.
The organisation urged policymakers to prioritise tobacco control as a critical public health issue, warning that failure to act decisively would continue to strain Nigeria’s healthcare system, deepen poverty, and expose millions, particularly young people, to preventable diseases.
“Investing in tobacco control will save lives, reduce healthcare costs and protect the next generation from addiction,” Oluwafemi concluded.
