The Nigeria Tobacco Control Alliance (NTCA) has petitioned the National Assembly to halt further transmission or consideration of the National Tobacco Control Act (Amendment) Bill, 2025, and to recall the consolidated Bill for a transparent, evidence-based, and public health-led review.
The petition follows serious concerns from tobacco-control and public health stakeholders that several provisions in the consolidated Bill could weaken key safeguards within Nigeria’s tobacco control framework and create regulatory openings for tobacco and nicotine products.
The Alliance said it is particularly concerned about the Bill’s introduction of “tobacco harm reduction objectives” and the proposed inclusion of electronic nicotine and non-nicotine delivery systems, heated tobacco products and tobacco-free oral nicotine pouch products within the non-combustible products framework.
It also raised concerns about provisions that would permit vaping for product sampling at points of sale, warning that such provisions could facilitate the wider promotion, normalisation and uptake of emerging nicotine products, particularly among young people.
The proposed advertising and promotion provisions are another major concern. According to the Alliance, the Bill would permit the advertising and promotion of non-combustible products in adult publications, through point-of-sale promotional materials and online adult advertising, and would also allow sponsorship of cultural, social and recreational events directed at persons aged 18 years and above.
The Alliance questioned whether these provisions would adequately protect children and young people from exposure to tobacco and nicotine marketing.
It also expressed concern about the proposed definition of an “adult publication”, which is based on a 50 per cent threshold of adult readership. The Alliance said this threshold may be inadequate to prevent children and young people from being exposed to tobacco and nicotine marketing, particularly where publications or digital platforms may still have substantial underage audiences.
The Alliance is equally concerned about provisions that would create avenues for the online and remote sale of non-combustible products via mail, shipping and courier delivery.
While recognising age verification as an important safeguard, the Alliance said the Bill does not adequately address the risks of circumvention, third-party vendors, the reliability of online age-verification systems, or regulators’ practical capacity to monitor and enforce compliance across online vendors and delivery channels.
It warned that these gaps could make it significantly easier for minors to access regulated tobacco and nicotine products.
The Alliance also raised concerns about proposed changes to enforcement penalties and health warnings. It said the consolidated Bill appears to delete specified penalty provisions in Section 16 of the National Tobacco Control Act 2015, raising doubts about the strength and enforceability of the regulatory framework.
The proposed changes to health warnings are also concerning, including reduced warning requirements for new and emerging products, exemptions for electronic cigarettes and heating devices from carrying health warnings, and the proposed limitation of text warnings on nicotine pouch packaging to no more than 10 per cent of the front of the package.
The Alliance said these changes could reduce the visibility and effectiveness of health warnings at the point of decision-making for tobacco and nicotine products.
The tobacco-control community has therefore called for the consolidated Bill to be recalled and subjected to a fresh, transparent, public health-led review involving relevant public health institutions, technical experts, civil society organisations and other affected stakeholders.
The Alliance said the review should pay particular attention to protecting children and young people, preventing nicotine initiation and dependence, ensuring the enforceability of proposed controls, and maintaining Nigeria’s public health obligations.
The Alliance’s Demands
The Nigeria Tobacco Control Alliance is calling on the National Assembly to:
Halt transmission of the Bill to the President pending a transparent review.
Recall the consolidated Bill for detailed scrutiny of provisions concerning advertising, promotion, sponsorship, product sampling, retail display, online and remote sales, enforcement penalties, health warnings, and the classification of heated tobacco products and other non-combustible products.
Publish all relevant committee reports, voting records and stakeholder submissions that informed the development of the consolidated Bill.
Ensure that relevant public health institutions, civil society organisations and other affected stakeholders are consulted before any further legislative action.
The Nigeria Tobacco Control Alliance therefore called for the immediate recall of the consolidated Bill and a fresh review that prioritises the health and welfare of Nigerians, particularly children and young people.
E-Signed:
Emmanuel Onwuka
Communications Officer
Nigeria Tobacco Control Alliance
