By Juliet Umeh
The Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa, CAPPA, is calling on the Federal Government of Nigeria to immediately increase the excise tax on tobacco products to 100 percent. This bold move could not only save thousands of lives but also help the nation recover an estimated N526 billion lost annually to healthcare costs and productivity losses linked to tobacco use.
In a statement, CAPPA highlighted that despite the well-documented health risks, the tobacco industry continues to aggressively market its products, including traditional cigarettes and new products like vapes and e-cigarettes, to Nigerians, particularly the youth.
“Tobacco use remains a major risk factor for a wide range of debilitating and expensive non-communicable diseases, NCDs,” the group stated. Citing World Health Organization, WHO data, CAPPA noted that tobacco use is linked to premature deaths from illnesses such as lung cancer, cardiovascular disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, COPD.
The group also referenced a 2018 government report that found Nigerians consume more than 20 billion cigarettes annually, with nearly 30,000 Nigerians dying each year from tobacco-related diseases.
A study by the Centre for the Study of the Economies of Africa, CSEA, further revealed that Nigeria spent a staggering N526.4 billion in 2019 alone on treating diseases linked to tobacco use.
While the government has previously proposed a tax increase, CAPPA emphasized that the current tax regime remains insufficient. The group urged Nigeria to follow the lead of other African nations like Senegal, which recently raised its tobacco tax to 100 percent, and Kenya and South Africa, which have implemented stricter regulations and bans on tobacco and vaping products to curb addiction and protect public health.
CAPPA’s Executive Director, Akinbode Oluwafemi, said, “The tobacco industry is having a field day targeting young people with products like vapes and e-cigarettes, marketing them as safer alternatives. But they are just as addictive and harmful. What they are doing is grooming the next set of addicts to replace the thousands of Nigerians dying annually from tobacco-related diseases. They must be stopped.”
“We urge the government to act without delay and increase tobacco taxes to 100 percent,” Oluwafemi added. “This is a proven and effective strategy to reduce tobacco use and ease the immense burden on our health system.”
