By Mashe Umaru Gwamna
The Nigeria Tobacco Control Alliance (NTCA), said the country remains vulnerable to exploitative practices, and aggressive marketing strategies of Tobacco Industry Inference .
Olawale Makanjuoka, the Coordinator NTCA, said the Tobacco industry targets youths from ages zero-35, stating that approximately 5.6 % of Nigeria adults aged 15 years and older are currently smokers with prevalence disproportionately higher among men at 10.0 percent compared to just 1.1 percent among women.
He said despite progressive national tobacco control effort, there is a serious growing interference by the tobacco industry in government policy processes which undermines efforts to protect public health.
The group stated this at a one-day stakeholder engagement and launching of Nigeria Tobacco Industry interference Index 2025 handbook which was organized by the Nigerian Tobacco Control Alliance (NTCA) , Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) and Global Center for Good Governance in Tobacco Control (GGTC), yesterday in Abuja .
The stakeholders revealed that the 2025 Tobacco Interference ( Tll) index marks Nigeria’s fourth in global civil society led initiative that measures how effective government are insulating public health policy making from the inference of tobacco cooperation.
“ Grounded in Articles 5.3 of the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control ( WHO FCTC).
“ The report launched today is based on data gathering between April 2023-March 2025 revealed the persistent tension between public health imperatives and corporate interference “.
Also, the 2025 index report showed a concerned uptick in industry inference revealing that Nigeria’s scores rising to 62 compared to 60 in 2023, 53 in 2021 and 59 in 2020.
“ This regression reflects sustained structural weakness that allow the tobacco industry to position itself as a stakeholder in national development, despite the proven harm of its products to health”, they said .
Speaking at launched, the Executive Director CAPPA, Akinbode Oluafemi, stated that there is conflict of interest of government which requires disclosure,cooling of period and close roving doors.
“ Public officials must declare their stand openly concerning tobacco industry.
He said tobacco industry uses the strategy of deny, delay dilute and discredit science others as indicators to promote both old and new emerging products denying the harm to public health.
He stressed that tobacco companies use corporate social responsibility (CSR) CSR as a strategy to relaunch themselves into the market.
“What we are saying is that this whole thing only happens in Nigeria, where the tobacco companies seem to do the work of the government”.
The Senior Policy Advisor, Southwest Asia Tobacco Control Alliance, Mary Assunta, disclosed findings from a global index assessing implementation of Article 5.3 out
of 100 countries Nigeria ranks 54th in the 2025 Global Tobacco Industry Interference (TII) Index, with a score of 62, indicating a worsening, higher level of tobacco industry interference compared to 2023.
“The index, highlighting weak enforcement of regulations, places Nigeria 13th out of 18 African countries”, she stated .
She said Nigeria must move to imbibe Article 5.3 like other countries.
Assunta maintained that public officials must not be find themselves in situations of conflict of interests, saying that it is important for them not to interfere in Tobacco industry issues .
Giving more insight on the Nigeria Tobacco industry Inference Index 2025 hand book, Asst. Executive Director CAPPA, Zikora Ibeh said from the key findings
Nigeria government continues to exhibit a concerning level of policy vulnerability to tobacco influence.
“In 2024, during legislative hearings on proposed amendments to National Tobacco Control Act (2015) representatives from BATN and affiliated front groups actively participated in the public debate, advocating for weaker provisions under the guise of reform”, she said .
Ibeh disclosed that in Lagos and several states British American Tobacco Nigeria Found (BATNF )has carried out projects ranging from fish farming support to borehole drilling.
“These initiatives were publicly endorsed by state governments and government agencies, allowing the industry to repair its image, secure political access, and build goodwill, particularly among vulnerable communities.”
She maintained that the active promotion of these CSR activities by government officials, instead of rejection it.
“Reflects a disregard for the World Health Organisation (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) Article 5.3, which discourages such engagements because they undermine public health objectives”.
She noted that Nigeria regulatory landscape continues to grant tobacco industry indirect privileges, unnecessary interactions, said Nigeria’s political elite continues to maintain visible ties with the tobacco industry in clear violation of the FCTC’s requirements to protect public policy from industry interference among many other inferences.
The findings offers solutions such as to Ban tobacco industry CSR across all public institutions, enforce transparency and operational legal provisions, strengthen conflict of interest safeguards and establish a public repository of tobacco industry disclosure.
Meanwhile, Policy and legal Officer CAPPA, Sade Oyelade Osi emphasized on the legal implications saying that public officials should take proactive implementation of ensuring that CRS is ban .
“ Nigeria needs to follow global trend of countries like Finland, Ethiopia, Gabon Brazil of banning CRS. We must adopt such policy to protect our public health space .
“ The health and economic burdens from tobacco consumption remain severe.
“And the need for public mentoring is key for Nigeria’s public health policies and the protection of future generations from tobacco-related harm”, Makanjuola said.