The Nigeria Tobacco Control Alliance (NTCA) on Wednesday in Calabar disclosed that only N28 million has been allocated to it between 2023 and 2025.
The spokesperson of the NTCA, Mr. Emmanuel Onwuka, who made the disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), said that the allocation was grossly inadequate.
Onwuka said the allocations threaten implementation of the National Tobacco Control Act (NTCA) 2015 and weaken efforts against tobacco-related diseases nationwide.
According to him, domestic investment in tobacco control shows N4.7 million in 2023, N10 million in 2024, and N13 million in 2025 in spite of growing public health challenges linked to tobacco use.
He said the allocations contrast sharply with Nigeria’s estimated N526.4 billion spent treating tobacco-related illnesses in 2019 alone, according to the Centre for the Study of the Economies of Africa.
Onwuka cited the World Health Organisation (WHO) as estimating that more than 3.5 million Nigerians use tobacco, while about 16,100 people die annually from tobacco-related diseases.
“Enforcement of smoke-free laws, public awareness campaigns, cessation services, research and tobacco industry monitoring remained largely dependent on international donor funding.
“Bloomberg Philanthropies, Vital Strategies, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids and the WHO have sustained advocacy, policy reforms and implementation support in Nigeria,” he said.
He warned that declining global development funding could weaken tobacco control programmes, exposing Nigeria to aggressive tobacco industry marketing and increasing public health risks.
Onwuka urged government to establish sustainable domestic financing through earmarked tobacco tax revenues dedicated exclusively to tobacco control programmes and enforcement activities.
He cited Gabon, which allocatesd one per cent of tobacco tax revenues to tobacco control, and Côte d’Ivoire, which dedicated special tobacco levies to health programmes.
He quoted Dr Vetty Agala, Executive Secretary Rivers Contributory Health Protection Programme, as saying that”sustainable tobacco control financing depends on effective revenue generation, resource pooling and strategic purchasing of health interventions.”
He said dedicated funding would ensure consistent support for enforcement, public education, cessation services, research, institutional capacity and effective implementation of existing tobacco control laws.
He noted that NTCA, Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa and Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids had consistently urged government to increase annual funding to at least N300 million.
He described the proposed N300 million allocation as a practical investment, considering the country’s rising healthcare costs, productivity losses, and preventable deaths linked to tobacco consumption.
Onwuka called on the Federal Government, National Assembly and state governments to prioritise sustainable tobacco control financing, saying stronger investment would protect lives, reduce healthcare costs, and improve national productivity.(NAN)
