Nigeria’s allocation of about ₦9.2 million for tobacco control in the 2026 Appropriation Act is grossly inadequate to protect public health, enforce tobacco regulations and counter industry interference.
This is according to Robert Egbe, a tobacco control advocate and Media and Communications Officer at Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa, CAPPA.
The allocation represents a reduction from the ₦13 million provided in 2025, despite an estimated minimum annual requirement of ₦300 million to support tobacco control activities, the advocacy group said.
The funding shortfall comes amid concerns over proposed amendments to the National Tobacco Control Act (NTCA) 2015, which tobacco control advocates allege could weaken existing safeguards and create a more permissive regulatory environment for electronic cigarettes, heated tobacco products, nicotine pouches and other emerging nicotine products.
The proposed amendments, identified as House Bills 1151 and 47, were presented at a public hearing organised by the House of Representatives Committee on Healthcare Services on November 22, 2024.
According to CAPPA, the original four pages of proposed amendments were subsequently expanded into a 31-page consolidated bill containing provisions that differed from those discussed at the hearing.
The group alleged that some of the new proposals would remove key protections in the existing law.
The concerns have heightened calls for stronger safeguards against tobacco industry interference and adequate funding for institutions responsible for implementing tobacco control policies.
In January 2025, CAPPA called on the National Assembly to increase the tobacco control allocation to at least ₦300 million, arguing that the existing funding was insufficient to meet the obligations established by the NTCA.
The law mandates activities including public education, policy coordination, research, monitoring and enforcement, protection of smoke-free spaces, and action against tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship.
CAPPA said inadequate funding also limits the ability of the National Tobacco Control Committee (NATOCC) and the Tobacco Control Unit of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to organise meetings, coordinate stakeholders, conduct public awareness campaigns and monitor compliance with tobacco control regulations.
The group warned that without sustained investment in enforcement, authorities would struggle to detect and prosecute violations, monitor smoke-free provisions and respond effectively to marketing strategies targeting children and young people.
It also stressed the need to address the growing market for emerging nicotine products and ensure that regulations are not weakened by commercial interests.
Tobacco-related illnesses, including cancers, cardiovascular diseases and chronic respiratory conditions, impose significant costs on families, the healthcare system and the wider economy.
The article cites an estimate of about 26,800 tobacco-related deaths annually in Nigeria. Globally, tobacco kills more than seven million people each year, including over 1.6 million non-smokers exposed to second-hand smoke.
CAPPA argued that the government cannot effectively counter the tobacco industry’s marketing and public relations resources while allocating less than ₦10 million annually to national tobacco control efforts.
The group called for increased funding and stronger protection of tobacco control policies from conflicts of interest and commercial interference.