CAPPA Demands Increased Tobacco Control Funding to Combat Youth

By Love Oyedokun

The Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has once again urged the Federal Government of Nigeria to significantly enhance its budgetary allocation for tobacco control.

Cablenews24 reports that the organization warns that the current financial commitment is alarmingly insufficient to combat the escalating public health crisis posed by tobacco and emerging nicotine products, particularly among the youth.

CAPPA has called for the annual tobacco control budget to be raised to a minimum of N300 million, emphasizing the necessity for ongoing increases in future budgets. The organization highlighted that the existing funding levels are inadequate for the effective implementation of the National Tobacco Control Act (NTCA) of 2015.

This call to action comes in light of CAPPA’s latest report, titled “New Smoke Trap: New and Emerging Nicotine and Tobacco Products, Youth Exposure and Policy Gaps in Nigeria,” which sheds light on the alarming trend of international tobacco companies exploiting regulatory loopholes to inundate the Nigerian market with highly addictive products such as electronic cigarettes, vapes, and other smokeless nicotine devices aimed at young Nigerians.

Akinbode Oluwafemi, CAPPA’s Executive Director, expressed grave concerns regarding the rapid proliferation of these products and the insufficient enforcement of existing regulations, which together pose a significant public health risk. “We are witnessing a rapidly evolving nicotine market that is distinctly targeting our youth. Without adequate funding for regulation, enforcement, and public education, Nigeria risks facing a new wave of addiction,” he stated.

The statement from CAPPA underscores the dire reality of tobacco use in Nigeria, which remains a leading cause of preventable death, accounting for nearly 30,000 fatalities each year. Citing data from the Centre for the Study of the Economies of Africa (CSEA), CAPPA warned of the staggering economic burden associated with tobacco and nicotine use, revealing that Nigerians spent over N526 billion on treating tobacco-related diseases in 2019 alone.

Despite the significant costs associated with tobacco use, CAPPA lamented the persistent underfunding of tobacco control initiatives in Nigeria. This lack of financial support severely limits critical activities such as public awareness campaigns, enforcement of smoke-free regulations, monitoring of industry practices, and research into emerging trends. The organization pointed out that the Tobacco Control Fund (TCF), established under the NTCA to support these efforts, has yet to be fully operationalized and remains severely under-resourced.

“The Tobacco Control Fund was designed as a sustainable financing mechanism to shield Nigerians from the harms of tobacco. However, without adequate budgetary allocation and full operationalization, it cannot fulfill its intended purpose,” Oluwafemi added.

CAPPA emphasized that a boost in 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 statutory responsibilities. These responsibilities include nationwide sensitization campaigns, compliance monitoring, enforcement of advertising bans, and prosecution of violations.

The organization also highlighted the importance of sustained investment in alternative livelihoods for tobacco farmers, noting that transitioning to safer and more sustainable crops necessitates technical support, training, and financial backing.

Drawing from its new report, CAPPA warned that tobacco companies are ramping up their marketing efforts on digital platforms, employing influencers, lifestyle branding, and misleading harm-reduction claims to lure young users. “This is a deliberate strategy to recruit new users and replace those lost to tobacco-related diseases. The government must respond by strengthening regulations and backing them with the necessary funding for enforcement,” Oluwafemi stated.

In addition to increasing the budgetary allocation for tobacco control, CAPPA reiterated its call for stronger fiscal and regulatory measures. This includes raising tobacco taxes to at least 100 percent and earmarking a portion of the revenue for public health interventions and tobacco control programs. The organization urged policymakers to prioritize tobacco control as a critical public health issue, warning that inaction will continue to strain Nigeria’s healthcare system, exacerbate poverty, and expose millions—especially young people—to preventable diseases.

“Investing in tobacco control will save lives, reduce healthcare costs, and safeguard the next generation from addiction,” Oluwafemi concluded..