In a bid to meet World Health Organization standards, Nigeria’s Federal Government has announced plans to raise taxes on tobacco products from 30 to 50 per cent.
This was revealed by the Head of Tobacco Control Unit, Noncommunicable Disease Division, Dr Mangai Malau, during the National Tobacco Control Budget Advocates Meeting in Abuja.
During the meeting, Malau highlighted the critical need for funding in tobacco control, emphasizing that funding should come mainly from taxation. He also noted that relevant stakeholders must apply tax measures appropriately to address tobacco control issues in the country.
Malau explained that the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control recognizes funding as a critical component in the effective control of tobacco and tobacco products.
He added that the National Tobacco Control Act’s major provision is funding through the Tobacco Control Fund, which will finance tobacco control activities, programs, and projects.
The meeting aimed to seek better funding for tobacco control to enable Nigeria to meet the objectives of the WHO FCTC and the NTC Act.
Malau stressed that tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke are leading causes of mortality, morbidity, disability, and impoverishment worldwide.
In his words; “In effectively controlling tobacco and tobacco products in Nigeria, funding is a critical component. The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) recognises this and clearly stipulates it in Article 26.
“It states that parties shall provide financial support in respect of its national activities intended to achieve the objective of the Convention, in accordance with its national plans, priorities and programmes.
“It is also important to state that funding is a major provision of the National Tobacco Control (NTC) Act.
“Section eight of the Act provides for the Tobacco Control Fund, which shall be used to fund tobacco control activities programmes and projects.”
According to Malau, tobacco smoke contains over 7,000 chemicals, hundreds of which are toxic, and about 70 are known to cause cancer.
He also warned that there is no safe level of exposure to tobacco smoke and even brief exposure can be harmful to one’s health.
“Tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke is a leading cause of mortality, morbidity, disability and impoverishment in the world.
“It is the greatest risk factor for non-communicable diseases like hypertension, stroke, cancers, diabetes and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases.
“WHO said tobacco causes more than eight million deaths annually around the world, with more than seven million of those deaths as a result of direct tobacco use. And about 1.2 million resulting from non-smokers being exposed to second-hand smoke.”
He added, “Also, there is no safe level of exposure to tobacco smoke and even a brief exposure can be harmful to one’s health.
“Concerned about the threat from tobacco, Nigeria signed and ratified the WHO FCTC in 2004 and 2005, respectively. In 2015, the National Tobacco Control (NTC) Act was enacted and its regulations were passed in 2019.”
The Chairman of Nigeria Tobacco Control Alliance, Akinbode Oluwafemi, urged Civil Society Organizations to advocate for more budgetary allocation for tobacco control in the country.
Oluwafemi called on CSOs to begin the budgetary advocacy in July when the government’s ministries, departments, and agencies would commence the 2024 budget presentation and defense.
