The Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has called on the Federal Government to significantly increase funding for tobacco control, warning that current budgetary allocations are insufficient to tackle the growing public health risks posed by tobacco and emerging nicotine products.
CAPPA disclosed this over the weekend, urging the government to raise the annual allocation for tobacco control to at least N300 million, with sustained increases in subsequent budgets. The group 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 latest report titled “New Smoke Trap: New and Emerging Nicotine and Tobacco Products, Youth Exposure and Policy Gaps in Nigeria.” The report highlights how international tobacco companies are exploiting regulatory gaps to introduce highly addictive products such as electronic cigarettes, vapes, and other smokeless nicotine devices into the Nigerian market, particularly targeting young people.
CAPPA’s Executive Director, Akinbode Oluwafemi, warned that the rapid proliferation of these products, coupled with weak enforcement and limited funding, poses a serious public health risk.
“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.
According to CAPPA, 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 organisation noted that Nigerians spent over N526 billion on treating tobacco-related diseases in 2019 alone.
Despite these figures, CAPPA lamented that tobacco control remains underfunded, limiting key activities such as public awareness campaigns, enforcement of smoke-free laws, monitoring of industry practices, and research into emerging trends.
The group also expressed concern that the Tobacco Control Fund (TCF), established under the NTCA as a sustainable financing mechanism, has yet to be fully operationalised.
“The Tobacco Control Fund was designed to protect Nigerians from the harms of tobacco. But without adequate funding and full operationalisation, it cannot deliver on its mandate,” Oluwafemi added.
CAPPA stressed that increased funding would strengthen the capacity of regulatory bodies, including the National Tobacco Control Committee (NATOCC) and the Tobacco Control Unit within the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, to carry out nationwide sensitisation, compliance monitoring, enforcement of advertising bans, and prosecution of violations.
The organisation also highlighted the need for investment in alternative livelihoods for tobacco farmers, noting that transitioning to safer crops requires technical support, training, and financial assistance.
Furthermore, CAPPA warned that tobacco companies are intensifying digital marketing efforts, using 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,” Oluwafemi said.
In addition to increased funding, CAPPA called for stronger fiscal and regulatory measures, including raising tobacco taxes to at least 100 percent and allocating part of the revenue to public health interventions.
The organisation urged policymakers to prioritise tobacco control, warning that failure to act decisively could further strain Nigeria’s healthcare system, deepen poverty, and expose millions especially youths to preventable diseases.
“Investing in tobacco control will save lives, reduce healthcare costs, and protect the next generation from addiction,” Oluwafemi added.
