Coalition Rejects Tobacco Control Amendment Bill in Nigeria

The Nigerian tobacco-control community has formally rejected the National Tobacco Control Act (Amendment) Bill, 2025, describing it as a significant setback for public health and a danger to young people. In a joint statement issued on Friday, the coalition emphasized that the bill should not be allowed to progress and urged relevant legislative committees to withdraw it immediately.

They also called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to withhold assent if the bill reaches his desk. The coalition criticized the bill for failing to address regulatory gaps and instead weakening protections for electronic cigarettes, heated tobacco products, and nicotine pouches.

They highlighted contradictions within the bill, such as defining non-combustible products while excluding them from tobacco product regulations. Additionally, the bill's provisions would allow tobacco advertising in publications where at least 50% of readers are over 18, potentially exposing minors to such advertisements.

The amendment also permits online sales and advertising of non-combustible products, undermining the protections established by the original 2015 Act.