Public health experts have called on the Nigerian government to adopt Sweden’s anti-smoking model to curb the rising rate of smoking-related diseases and deaths across the country.
The call was made during a stakeholders’ engagement forum in Abuja with the theme “Can Nigeria Quit Like Sweden?” which explored how Nigeria could adapt Sweden’s successful harm reduction strategy to its own public health realities.
Director of Quit Like Sweden (QLS), Ms. Suely Castro, explained that Sweden’s approach focuses on harm reduction rather than total eradication of smoking, allowing people who smoke to switch to safer alternatives.
“Our mission is to share the Swedish experience — harm reduction in tobacco control. We don’t promote products; we promote help. People deserve safer, affordable, and acceptable alternatives. Nigeria’s diversity means the model can’t be copied wholesale, but its principles can be adapted,” Castro said.
She emphasized that no single formula fits all countries, urging Nigerian policymakers to create evidence-based solutions that reflect local habits and needs.
Castro added that adopting a harm reduction approach could save Nigeria huge healthcare costs.
“Fewer smoking-related illnesses mean more national resources for health, education, and development,” she said, adding that dialogue with policymakers is key to achieving lasting results.
Also speaking, Dr. Yusuff Adebayo Adebisi, a pharmacist-epidemiologist and Director of Research at Global Focus, University of Ibadan, underscored the need for data-driven and collaborative policymaking.
“We know the science behind reduced-risk products. Our role is to translate this science into national policy. Health workers must lead in educating smokers about available cessation tools, from nicotine therapies to safer alternatives such as vaping, as practiced in the UK,” he said.
Adebisi noted that consistent public awareness and training programs would help bridge knowledge gaps.
“We recently organized a webinar for journalists and launched a Tobacco Harm Reduction Scholarship to build media capacity,” he added.
In her remarks, Dr. Tata Eunice, a public health expert from Cameroon, said Sweden’s success was anchored on strong regulation and affordability.
“Nigeria must ensure that safer products are accessible, affordable, and well-regulated,” she said. “Education is also key, especially among young people, to prevent addiction before it begins.”
Convener of Tobacco Harm Reduction Nigeria (THRNigeria), Mr. Uche Olatunji, urged greater media involvement and the inclusion of harm reduction concepts in health and education curricula.
“The media has a powerful role in shaping public attitudes. Harm reduction isn’t about encouraging smoking; it’s about saving lives through informed choices,” Olatunji said.
Participants at the forum concluded by urging the federal government to develop a national harm reduction framework built on scientific evidence, regulation, and sustained public enlightenment — a strategy they say could help Nigeria replicate Sweden’s near smoke-free success story.
