By Bilkis Abdulraheem Lawal
The Nigeria Tobacco Control Alliance (NTCA) has launched a report documenting 42 incidents of tobacco industry activities across 11 locations in Nigeria, alongside a National Tobacco Control Resource Hub aimed at strengthening access to information and supporting tobacco control efforts.
Titled How Tobacco Industry Undermines Public Health Rules in Nigeria, the report covers incidents recorded between January and August 2026 across the Federal Capital Territory and ten states: Abia, Edo, Kaduna, Katsina, Lagos, Nasarawa, Ogun, Ondo, Oyo and Rivers.
According to the report, 15 of the documented incidents, representing 35.7 per cent, involved corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities and engagements with public institutions, while the remaining 27, representing 64.3 per cent, involved tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship (TAPS).
Speaking at the launch, NTCA Board Chairman, Akinbode Oluwafemi, said the findings highlighted how tobacco companies used initiatives linked to agriculture, youth empowerment, gender equality, employment and rural development to advance their interests.
He also raised concerns about the display of cigarettes alongside sweets and other products commonly purchased by children, online promotions of electronic cigarettes, heated tobacco products and nicotine pouches, as well as smoking imagery in music videos, concerts and cultural events.
Oluwafemi stressed the need for sustained monitoring to expose such activities and their potential implications for public health.
In his remarks, the NTCA Alliance Coordinator, Olawale Makanjoula, said independent, evidence-based monitoring was essential to identifying emerging industry strategies, promoting public accountability and ensuring that tobacco control policies were implemented in the interest of public health.
Similarly, the In-Country Coordinator of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids (CTFK), Barrister Michael Olaniyan, called for stronger protection of public health policies against tobacco industry influence and effective implementation of existing tobacco control laws.
Olaniyan also welcomed the launch of the National Tobacco Control Resource Hub, describing it as a platform with the potential to improve access to information and support journalists, researchers, civil society organisations and policymakers.
The Executive Director of Development Initiative for Society Health, John Egla, also emphasised the importance of continuous monitoring and public awareness in identifying tobacco industry activities that could undermine public health interventions.
The report recommends stronger enforcement of the National Tobacco Control Act 2015 and the National Tobacco Control Regulations 2019. It also calls for safeguards against tobacco industry influence in public institutions, closer monitoring of retail outlets and digital marketing, and measures to address the promotion and glamourisation of tobacco use in entertainment and cultural spaces.
The newly launched National Tobacco Control Resource Hub is expected to serve as a central online repository of tobacco control research, information and other resources to support media reporting, public education, advocacy and policy engagement.
Through the two initiatives, NTCA aims to strengthen independent monitoring, improve access to evidence and equip stakeholders with information to support tobacco control efforts across Nigeria.
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