CAPPA Urges NASS To Raise Tobacco Control Budget To N300m

Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has urged the Senate and House of Representatives to increase the allocation for Tobacco Control in the 2025 national budget from the current N10 million to N300 million.

In a statement made available by CAPPA’s media and communication officer, Robert Egbe, the organisation disclosed that it had submitted separate petitions on Monday to Senate President, Godswill Akpabio and Speaker, Dr. Tajudeen Abbas.

CAPPA emphasised that a minimum allocation of N300 million is crucial to address the multifaceted challenges posed by tobacco use and ensure the effective implementation of the National Tobacco Control Act (NTCA) 2015.

Highlighting the dangers of tobacco consumption, CAPPA’s Executive Director, Akinbode Oluwafemi, noted that tobacco use remains the leading preventable cause of death worldwide, including in Nigeria.

“Tobacco-related illnesses claim 26,800 Nigerian lives annually, causing severe health conditions such as cancer, heart disease, and chronic respiratory diseases. The economic burden is immense, with billions spent on healthcare and lost productivity. Additionally, tobacco cultivation contributes to deforestation and environmental pollution,” Oluwafemi stated.

He further warned about the rise of unregulated tobacco and nicotine products targeting younger populations, exploiting gaps in the regulatory framework.

“These products, including e-cigarettes and novel smokeless tobacco, are marketed as trendy despite their health risks. Tobacco companies in Nigeria exploit weak monitoring systems to aggressively market their products on social media and use corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives to gain favor with public health authorities, undermining tobacco control laws,” Oluwafemi added.

To combat these threats, CAPPA called on the federal government to intensify regulation and control efforts, recognising the significant public health and economic impacts of tobacco use.

While acknowledging the increase in the 2024 budget allocation to the Tobacco Control Fund (TCF) from N4.7 million to N10 million, Oluwafemi argued that this amount is still insufficient for several critical reasons.