Civil society organisations (CSOs) working in tobacco control have commended the Minister of State for Health, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, and the Nigerian delegation for what they described as outstanding leadership at the 11th Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP11) to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO-FCTC) in Geneva.
They, however, urged the government to ensure that this global performance translates into stronger action at home.
In a joint statement, the organisations praised Nigeria’s firm stance against tobacco industry interference, noting that the delegation consistently defended public health positions throughout the week-long conference.
COP11, held from November 17 to 22, convened more than 1,400 delegates from 162 Parties to the WHO-FCTC, including governments, international bodies, and civil society groups. The meeting assessed two decades of progress under the global treaty and set new priorities to accelerate its implementation.
The statement, endorsed by Corporate Accountability & Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), the Nigeria Tobacco Control Alliance (NTCA), the Centre for Youth Inclusion & Development (CYID), and the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), highlighted Nigeria’s strong interventions in favour of stringent regulation of emerging tobacco and nicotine products and other measures critical to safeguarding public health.
Delivering Nigeria’s high-level address, Dr. Salako presented fresh national data while outlining strengthened enforcement and regulatory actions, reaffirming the country’s commitment to the WHO-FCTC and to protecting the health of its citizens.
“Despite persistent overtures and pressure from the tobacco industry and its allies, Nigeria stood firmly on the side of public health,” the CSOs said. They noted the delegation’s timely and principled interventions on issues such as liability, environmental protections, and robust regulation of new nicotine products.
The groups also underscored Nigeria’s influential role within the African Group, saying its leadership was instrumental in breaking negotiation deadlocks, stabilising discussions, and reinforcing the continent’s collective position.
They further commended the participation of Nigerian civil society actors and experts, including Dr. Omotayo Francis Fagbule of the University of Ibadan, describing their contributions as evidence of the “whole-of-society momentum driving tobacco control in Nigeria.”
However, the CSOs expressed concern that Nigeria recently declined in the global ranking on tobacco industry interference. They stressed that the country must now match its global leadership with strong domestic implementation.
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“After being a strong and reliable voice for public health in Geneva, the real work begins at home. The commitments defended abroad must be backed by concrete actions within Nigeria,” they said.
They called for stronger enforcement, accelerated regulatory action, full protection of health policies from industry interference, and adequate, transparent funding to operationalise the National Tobacco Control Act (NTC Act) and its Regulations.
“Without sufficient and accountable funding, the NTC Act risks remaining largely symbolic,” the groups warned.
They concluded by urging the government to demonstrate the same principled leadership in domestic implementation so that Nigerians, especially young people, can fully benefit from the protections championed at the global stage.
