Nigeria Loses N211.2bn Annually to Tobacco Use, Group Warns
Nigeria loses an estimated N211.2 billion annually to the economic burden of tobacco consumption through direct healthcare costs and indirect losses arising from illness and premature deaths, the Nigeria Tobacco Control Alliance (NTCA) has said.
The Communications Officer of the NTCA, Emmanuel Onwuka, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency on Monday in Calabar.
World No Tobacco Day is observed annually on May 31. The theme for the 2026 commemoration is “Unmasking the Appeal: Countering Nicotine and Tobacco Addiction,” highlighting deceptive marketing strategies used to target young people.
Onwuka said the tobacco industry continues to focus on young people through sophisticated marketing tactics that exploit their aspirations, emotions, fears, and desire for social acceptance.
According to him, Nigerian youths are increasingly exposed to smoking, shisha, and vaping content through music videos, fashion trends, entertainment platforms, and social media channels.
He noted that attractive flavours, colourful packaging, and glamorous branding often conceal the harmful realities of addiction, disease, and premature death.
“Recent studies show that nearly one in five Nigerian schoolchildren aged 13 to 15 have experimented with at least one tobacco product, while about one in 10 adolescents within the same age bracket are current smokers despite years of public health campaigns and awareness programmes,” Onwuka said.
He added that the figures demonstrate the continued effectiveness of tobacco industry marketing strategies, while weak enforcement of the National Tobacco Control Act leaves many adolescents vulnerable to recruitment.
Onwuka further stated that tobacco use remains a major contributor to non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular illnesses, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and lung cancer.
Citing findings from the Global Burden of Disease Study, he said nearly 30,000 deaths recorded in Nigeria in 2021 were directly linked to tobacco-related illnesses.
He also warned that many households face severe financial hardship due to treatment costs, while exposure to second-hand smoke continues to endanger children and pregnant women across the country.
The NTCA official called on parents, lawmakers, civil society organisations, and young people to work together to protect future generations from nicotine addiction and commercial exploitation.
He urged the government to fully implement its commitments under the World Health Organisation (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control through stronger political will and stricter regulatory enforcement.
Onwuka also advocated closing loopholes in the 2015 National Tobacco Control Act and the 2019 regulations, while calling for a comprehensive ban on all forms of tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship across media platforms.
He said World No Tobacco Day should serve as a renewed call for urgent action to protect public health, strengthen the economy, and secure Nigeria’s future.
