Key Points
- Civil society and public-health groups have urged the National Assembly to withdraw the National Tobacco Control Act (Amendment) Bill 2025.
- The groups say some provisions could expand advertising, promotion, retail display and online sales of emerging nicotine products.
- They raised concerns over proposed rules covering vapes, heated tobacco products and nicotine pouches.
- The coalition also questioned provisions on online sales, age verification, health warnings and ministerial exemptions.
The groups want a transparent review of the bill with stronger public-health safeguards.
Main Story
Civil society organisations, health advocates and public-interest groups have called for the withdrawal of the National Tobacco Control Act (Amendment) Bill 2025, warning that some proposed provisions could weaken existing safeguards against tobacco and nicotine exposure.
The groups, operating under the Nigeria Tobacco Control Community, raised concerns on Monday in Abuja during an event organised to oppose provisions of the proposed amendment.
The statement, read by the Executive Director of Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), Akinbode Oluwafemi, said the coalition supported updating the National Tobacco Control Act 2015 and its 2019 Regulations to address emerging nicotine products.
However, the groups maintained that any amendment should strengthen existing protections rather than create additional avenues for tobacco and nicotine companies to market their products.
The coalition identified proposed provisions covering advertising, promotion, sponsorship, product sampling, retail display and online sales of non-combustible nicotine products as areas of concern.
It specifically faulted provisions that could permit advertising of such products in adult publications, at points of sale and on online platforms, as well as sponsorship of cultural, social and recreational events.
The groups also questioned the proposed definition of an adult publication as one with at least 50 per cent adult readership, arguing that the threshold could still expose children to tobacco and nicotine advertising.
Another major concern is the proposed allowance for online sales, remote orders and courier delivery of non-combustible nicotine products.
The coalition said age-verification mechanisms could be circumvented and questioned whether regulators had sufficient capacity to monitor online vendors, social media platforms, courier companies and delivery riders nationwide.
The Issues
The debate centres on how Nigeria should regulate emerging nicotine products while maintaining existing tobacco-control protections.
The groups are particularly concerned about the potential exposure of young people to products containing addictive nicotine through digital platforms, retail outlets and other channels.
They also opposed the proposed classification of heated tobacco products as non-combustible products, arguing that heating tobacco instead of burning it does not eliminate the presence of tobacco, nicotine or associated health risks.
The coalition further raised concerns about proposed reductions in health-warning requirements for some novel nicotine products.
It also questioned a provision that would give the Minister powers to exempt certain non-combustible products from some provisions of the law on undefined “public interest” grounds.
According to the groups, such discretionary powers could create opportunities for lobbying and regulatory capture.
What’s Being Said
The Executive Director of CAPPA, Akinbode Oluwafemi, said the coalition’s assessment was that the proposed amendment would weaken existing safeguards.
“This Bill does not protect Nigerians. It instead weakens existing safeguards and creates a wide-open market for tobacco and nicotine companies to thrive at the expense of public health,” the groups said.
Speaking for the Nigeria Tobacco Alliance, Olawale Makanjuola urged the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to intervene before the bill becomes law in its current form.
“Public health should be of importance to Nigeria. As members of the Tobacco Alliance, we are firmly against this bill,” Makanjuola said.
The coalition, however, acknowledged some provisions it considered positive, including the proposed extension of smoke-free zones to within 30 metres of schools and health facilities.
What’s Next
The Nigeria Tobacco Control Community wants the National Assembly to recall the bill and subject it to a transparent review focused on public-health protection.
The groups are also demanding the publication of committee reports, voting records and stakeholder submissions connected with the development of the consolidated bill.
They called on the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to clarify its position and urged President Bola Tinubu not to assent to the bill if it reaches his desk in its current form.
The debate comes as Nigeria’s tobacco-control framework faces the challenge of regulating newer products, including electronic cigarettes, heated tobacco products and nicotine pouches.
Bottom Line
The proposed amendment has triggered a fresh debate over Nigeria’s approach to emerging nicotine products. While advocates support updating the country’s tobacco-control framework, they want the process to preserve strict safeguards against youth exposure, particularly across online and retail channels.
