The Africa Centre for Tobacco Industry Monitoring and Policy Research, ATIM, has urged the National Assembly to urgently reconsider proposed amendments to the National Tobacco Control Act 2015.
It warned that new “Tobacco Harm Reduction” provisions could endanger Nigeria’s progress and open doors for the tobacco industry.
In a statement issued on Sunday, ATIM backed the Nigerian tobacco control community’s rejection of the proposed changes, saying they could weaken the country’s framework and create loopholes to addict Nigerians, especially young people, with nicotine and other “so-called non-combustible products.”
ATIM said the amendment process began as an effort to strengthen implementation of the 2015 Act and close loopholes around emerging tobacco and nicotine products.
However, it noted that the harmonised Bill considered by the House of Representatives introduced “Tobacco Harm Reduction” as an objective and created separate provisions for non-combustible products, including e-cigarettes, vapes, heated tobacco products, and nicotine pouches.
Tobacco control activists described “Tobacco Harm Reduction” as a discredited industry tactic to market addictive nicotine products by claiming they help users quit.
The Centre said the move is concerning given Nigeria’s progress.
Adult smoking prevalence is now estimated at around 5–6 per cent, a significant drop compared to previous decades, and the country has obligations under the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, WHO FCTC.
“Nigeria should be strengthening the measures that have helped reduce smoking, not creating new policy openings that could undermine those gains,” ATIM said.
It warned that emerging nicotine products could provide a new pathway to addiction for young people.
Instead of embedding “Tobacco Harm Reduction” in law, ATIM urged government to prioritise proven measures:
Comprehensive smoke-free environments
Stronger taxation and health warnings
Ban on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship
Improved cessation support
Measures against illicit trade
Stronger implementation of Article 5.3 of WHO FCTC to protect policy from industry interference
“Nothing prevents Nigeria from adopting evidence-based cessation or risk-reduction interventions where they are independently demonstrated to benefit population health,” ATIM said.
“But there is no need to embed a changing and contested commercial concept such as ‘Tobacco Harm Reduction’ as a statutory objective.”
ATIM called on the National Assembly to clarify how the “Tobacco Harm Reduction” and non-combustible product provisions entered the harmonised Bill.
It requested disclosure of: stakeholders who proposed the provisions, submissions received, meetings held with tobacco/nicotine industry representatives, and the evidence used to justify a separate regulatory framework.
“Nigeria has made important progress in reducing smoking. The task now is to accelerate that progress towards a genuinely smoke-free generation, not create new opportunities for nicotine addiction,” ATIM said.
It also urged public health groups across Africa to monitor Nigeria closely, saying the outcome could set a precedent for the continent.
Nigerian Cancer Society, Association of Resident Doctors, Abuja and other members of the Nigerian Tobacco Control Community had on Thursday demanded immediate withdrawal of the Bill and urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to withhold assent if presented.