The Nigeria Tobacco Control Alliance (NTCA) has called on the National Assembly to immediately recall the National Tobacco Control Act (Amendment) Bill 2025 and subject it to a transparent, public health-led review before presenting it for presidential assent. The Executive Director of Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), Akinbode Oluwafemi, made the call on Monday in Abuja during a press briefing on behalf of a coalition of more than 100 civil society organisations, health advocates and public-interest groups under the Nigeria Tobacco Control Alliance (NTCA). The coalition said, “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu must withhold assent should this compromised draft reach his desk.” The coalition said it had carefully reviewed the consolidated Bill and concluded that some of its provisions could weaken existing tobacco-control measures and create a wider market for tobacco and nicotine companies at the expense of public health. He said the coalition was particularly concerned about proposed changes affecting advertising, sponsorship, product sampling, retail displays, online sales, packaging and the regulation of non-combustible nicotine products. The In-country Coordinator, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, Michael Olaniyan, said the Bill would allow certain forms of advertising through “adult publications,” point-of-sale materials and online platforms, while also permitting sponsorship of cultural, social and recreational events, which children like to attend. The coalition questioned the definition of an “adult publication” contained in the proposed amendment that a publication could qualify as adult-oriented if at least 50 per cent of its readership comprised adults, which means the other half could be children. It said the provision could expose young people to tobacco and nicotine advertising because publications and promotional materials can easily circulate beyond their intended audiences through websites and social media platforms. The coalition also raised concerns over proposed provisions that could permit online sales, remote orders, shipping and courier delivery of non-combustible tobacco and nicotine products, as the country does not have technology to truly verify the age of users. The coalition maintained that tobacco-control policies should prioritise the protection of public health and future generations from addiction and preventable diseases rather than create regulatory gaps that could be exploited by commercial interests. In his remarks, the Alliance Coordinator of the Nigerian Tobacco Control Alliance, Olawale Makanjuola, said the amendment would delete provisions imposing specific penalties for offences including selling tobacco products to minors, violating packaging requirements and non-compliant distribution. The coalition argued that removing such penalties could create what it described as “legal confusion that directly benefits violators.” The coalition also demanded the publication of all committee reports, voting records and stakeholder submissions that contributed to the development of the amendment Bill. It called on the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to publicly clarify its position on the proposed legislation and demand its recall if proper consultation with relevant public health stakeholders was not conducted. One of the major concerns raised by the coalition was the proposed relaxation of restrictions on advertising and promotion of non-combustible tobacco and nicotine products. The coalition called for a strong and product-neutral tobacco-control framework that would maintain restrictions on advertising, sponsorship, product sampling, retail display and remote sales of tobacco and nicotine products.
Don't miss out on breaking stories and in-depth articles.
