A coalition of Nigeria’s leading tobacco-control and public health organisations has strongly opposed the National Tobacco Control Act (Amendment) Bill, 2025, describing it as a major setback to the country’s tobacco control efforts and a threat to public health, particularly the wellbeing of young people.
In a joint statement issued on Thursday, the coalition called for the immediate withdrawal of the bill, warning that it weakens key provisions of the National Tobacco Control Act (NTCA) 2015 instead of strengthening regulation of emerging tobacco and nicotine products.
The groups urged the relevant committees of the National Assembly to halt further legislative action on the bill and appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to withhold presidential assent if the legislation is transmitted to him.
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According to the coalition, the proposed amendment fails to address existing regulatory gaps but instead creates a more permissive legal framework for electronic cigarettes, heated tobacco products, nicotine pouches and other non-combustible nicotine products.
The organisations argued that the 2015 Act was built on the principle that all tobacco products are harmful and highly addictive, requiring strict controls on advertising, promotion, sponsorship, product display and remote sales.
However, they said the amendment reverses this principle by granting regulatory exemptions to newer nicotine products that are not available to conventional tobacco products.
The coalition also criticised what it described as contradictory definitions contained in the bill, noting that heated tobacco products are recognised as tobacco products under the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC), to which Nigeria is a signatory.
According to the groups, excluding heated tobacco products from the legal definition of tobacco products would place Nigeria at odds with international public health standards and undermine its commitments under the WHO FCTC.
They further expressed concern over provisions that would permit tobacco advertising through adult publications, point-of-sale promotions, online platforms and adult-only events.
The coalition argued that the bill’s definition of an “adult publication”—one in which at least 50 per cent of readers are above the age of 18—would still expose a significant number of minors to tobacco and nicotine advertising.
Citing demographic data and studies on internet access among children, the groups warned that the legislation could significantly increase young people’s exposure to tobacco marketing through newspapers, magazines, blogs and digital media.
The organisations also faulted provisions authorising online sales, courier deliveries and remote purchasing of non-combustible tobacco products, saying Nigeria lacks the regulatory capacity to effectively enforce age-verification measures and prevent access by minors.
They warned that the proposed changes would create new commercial channels through which tobacco and nicotine products could easily reach homes, schools and communities.
The coalition further criticised sections of the bill that would weaken packaging requirements and health warnings by allowing cigars to be sold in smaller packs while reducing warning-label requirements for nicotine pouches and exempting vaping devices from displaying health warnings.
The statement also raised concerns over provisions allowing manufacturers to classify product information as trade secrets, thereby limiting public access to information on the chemical contents and health risks of tobacco and nicotine products.
According to the coalition, the bill also grants the Minister of Health broad discretionary powers to exempt certain products from regulatory requirements on grounds of “public interest,” a provision they warned could expose the regulatory system to undue industry influence.
The organisations questioned the legislative process leading to the current version of the bill, alleging that significant new provisions were introduced after the public hearing held on November 22, 2024.
They called for the publication of all versions of the bill, committee reports, public hearing records, stakeholder submissions and voting records to ensure transparency and accountability.
The coalition also urged the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the Attorney-General of the Federation, relevant regulatory agencies and the National Tobacco Control Committee to publicly clarify their positions on the proposed legislation.
The groups maintained that Nigeria should continue to regulate all tobacco and nicotine products under a single, comprehensive framework that prohibits advertising, promotion, sponsorship, retail displays, promotional sampling and remote sales while ensuring strong health warnings, independent product assessments and effective enforcement mechanisms.
They also appealed to health professionals, civil society organisations, the media, development partners and the general public to support efforts aimed at preserving the integrity of Nigeria’s tobacco control laws.
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The statement was jointly endorsed by 13 organisations, including the Nigeria Tobacco Control Alliance (NTCA), Corporate Accountability and Public Participation in Africa (CAPPA), Gatefield Impact, the Nigerian Cancer Society, Youth Coalition Against Cancer, Oncology Nursing Society of Nigeria, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) and several other health advocacy groups.