The Nigeria Tobacco Control Alliance (NTCA) has raised the alarm on attempts by the tobacco industry to interfere in government policies and regulatory processes.
Tobacco control advocates and stakeholders say immediate action is needed to guard against nearly 30,000 preventable deaths recorded annually in Nigeria.
The call was made at the launch of a 32-page report on “how tobacco industry interference undermines public rules in Nigeria”.
Speaking at the launch of the detailed report and its 2025 handbook on the tobacco industry interference index, NTCA Coordinator Olawale Makanjuola says tobacco corporations are taking advantage of legal ambiguities within the National Tobacco Control Act of 2015 and the Regulations of 2019 to infiltrate government decision-making spaces.
“This report serves as both an early warning system and an action blueprint. It reminds us that enforcing the National Tobacco Control Act is not a bureaucratic checkbox. It is a matter of national survival and social justice,” he said.
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Delivering his address, the NTCA Board Chairman, Akinbode Oluwafemi said tobacco companies are heavily utilizing Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives to subtly introduce brand names into Nigerian markets, bypassing the national ban on tobacco advertising and sponsorship cultural events.
“The world is under attack in Nigeria. And there is a serious attack; it is very well planned and well funded. It seems as if the Ministry of Health is infiltrated. It seems as if they’ve dropped the ball, but not only dropped the ball, but kicked it inside the ocean.
“We can no longer comfortably say the Ministry of Health is protecting the health of Nigerians where industries are concerned,” he said.
In his remarks, the In-Country Coordinator of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, Barrister Michael Olaniyan said tobacco control advocates faced an organised and well-resourced industry that actively worked to frustrate public health campaigns and entice the younger generation into picking up smoking as a habit
Olaniyan acknowledged the importance of the Tobacco Control Data Initiative (TCDI) in providing scientific and academic evidence for policy engagement but said advocates also needed accessible information and publicly available records to support their campaigns.
The launch of this report reiterates calls on the Federal Ministry of Health and the National Assembly to protect Nigerians, especially young people, from the dangers of tobacco consumption and emerging nicotine products.
The report provides scientific and academic evidence drawn from physical and digital monitoring by the NTCA between January and August 2026, with the exercise covering the Federal Capital Territory and ten states. It now behoves the government at all levels to ensure stricter regulatory controls and safeguard public health.
