CAPPA urges FG to increase tobacco control budget to N300m

Stanley Ihedigbo

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 budgetary allocation is inadequate to tackle the growing public health risks posed by tobacco use and emerging nicotine products.

In a statement signed by the Media and Communications Officer at CAPPA, Robert Egbe, the organisation urged the government to raise the annual allocation for tobacco control to at least N300 million, with sustained increases in subsequent budgets.

CAPPA noted that existing funding levels fall far short of what is required to effectively implement the National Tobacco Control Act 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,” which highlights how global tobacco companies are exploiting regulatory gaps to introduce and expand the use of highly addictive products such as electronic cigarettes, vapes, and other smokeless nicotine devices, particularly among young Nigerians.

Executive Director of CAPPA, Akinbode Oluwafemi, warned that the rapid proliferation of these products, coupled with weak enforcement mechanisms and limited funding, poses a serious threat to public health.

He said the evolving nicotine market is increasingly targeting youths through modern marketing strategies, adding that without adequate investment in regulation, enforcement, and public education, Nigeria risks a new wave of addiction.

According to CAPPA, tobacco use remains a leading cause of preventable deaths in the country, accounting for nearly 30,000 fatalities annually. The group, citing data from the Centre for the Study of the Economies of Africa (CSEA), also highlighted the significant economic burden, noting that Nigerians spent over N526 billion on treating tobacco-related diseases in 2019 alone.

Despite these staggering costs, CAPPA lamented that tobacco control efforts remain grossly underfunded, thereby limiting critical interventions such as public awareness campaigns, enforcement of smoke-free laws, monitoring of industry practices, and research into emerging nicotine trends.

The organisation further expressed concern that the Tobacco Control Fund (TCF), established under the National Tobacco Control Act to provide sustainable financing for tobacco control initiatives, has yet to be fully operationalised and remains under-resourced.

CAPPA stressed that improved funding would empower key regulatory bodies, 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 mandates.

These include nationwide sensitisation, compliance monitoring, enforcement of advertising restrictions, and prosecution of violators.

The group also underscored the need to support tobacco farmers in transitioning to alternative livelihoods, noting that such a shift requires technical assistance, training, and financial backing to ensure sustainability.

Drawing insights from its report, CAPPA warned that tobacco companies are increasingly leveraging digital platforms, influencers, and lifestyle branding, often accompanied by misleading claims of reduced harm, to attract young consumers.

It described the trend as a deliberate strategy to recruit new users and replace those lost to tobacco-related illnesses, urging the government to respond decisively by strengthening regulations and ensuring adequate funding for enforcement.

In addition to increased budgetary allocation, CAPPA reiterated its call for stronger fiscal policies, including raising tobacco taxes to at least 100 percent and dedicating a portion of the revenue to public health programmes and tobacco control initiatives.

The organisation urged policymakers to prioritise tobacco control as a critical public health issue, warning that failure to act could further strain Nigeria’s healthcare system, deepen poverty, and expose millions, especially young people, to preventable diseases.

“Investing in tobacco control will save lives, reduce healthcare costs, and protect future generations from addiction,” Oluwafemi said.