By Gabriel Ameh
ABUJA — Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has filed a Freedom of Information (FOI) request with the National Assembly, seeking comprehensive legislative records on the National Tobacco Control Act (Amendment) Bill, 2025.
CAPPA said the request was prompted by concerns from public health stakeholders that some proposed amendments could weaken Nigeria’s existing tobacco-control safeguards.
The request, dated August 13, 2026, and addressed to the Clerk of the Senate, comes days after the Nigeria Tobacco Control Community, a coalition of more than 100 civil society organisations, public health advocates and tobacco-control stakeholders, called for the immediate recall of the consolidated Bill.
According to CAPPA, the FOI request is intended to establish the legislative history of the Bill, promote transparency in the lawmaking process and clarify how provisions considered harmful to public health became part of the current consolidated text.
CAPPA seeks detailed legislative records
CAPPA is asking the National Assembly to provide certified copies of Senate and House of Representatives Votes and Proceedings covering every stage of the Bill’s consideration.
The requested records include proceedings relating to the first and second readings, committee referral, consideration of committee reports, third reading and passage.
The organisation also requested the dates of each legislative stage, names and constituencies of sponsors and co-sponsors, records of divisions or recorded votes, relevant committee reports, details of public hearings and stakeholder submissions.
CAPPA further wants clarification on the current status of the Bill, including whether it has been transmitted to the President for assent.
The organisation invoked Sections 1(1), 2(3)(f) and 4 of the Freedom of Information Act, 2011, and requested that the National Assembly provide the information within the statutory seven-day period.
It said the requested records could be provided electronically or as certified physical copies, where applicable.
Public health groups raise concerns
At a press briefing in Abuja on August 9, the Nigeria Tobacco Control Community expressed concerns over provisions contained in the consolidated Bill.
The coalition argued that some of the proposed amendments could weaken safeguards under the National Tobacco Control Act, 2015, and create regulatory openings for tobacco and nicotine companies.
Among the provisions criticised are proposed changes relating to non-combustible nicotine products, advertising and promotion, online sales, point-of-sale promotion, product sampling, packaging and penalties.
The groups also questioned the legislative history of some of the provisions, claiming that controversial clauses were not contained in versions of the legislation presented at a public hearing on November 22, 2024.
They consequently called for greater clarity on how the provisions were introduced into the consolidated Bill.
CAPPA demands transparency
In its letter to the Clerk of the Senate, CAPPA said the request was made in the interest of public health, accountability and transparency.
“This request is made in the interest of promoting public health, accountability, and transparency,” the organisation stated.
The tobacco-control community has also questioned who introduced provisions it considers concessions to tobacco and nicotine interests and which public health institutions reviewed them.
The coalition maintained that any effort to update tobacco-control legislation to address emerging nicotine products should strengthen, rather than weaken, protections against tobacco-related diseases and nicotine addiction.
Concerns over youth exposure
The groups particularly objected to provisions they said could permit certain forms of promotion of non-combustible products through adult publications, point-of-sale materials and online platforms, as well as sponsorship of cultural, social and recreational events.
Their concerns also extend to proposed changes involving online sales, product sampling and the classification of heated tobacco products.
The coalition argued that Nigeria’s large youth population and the rapid spread of digital content could expose young people to tobacco and nicotine marketing, even where proposed exemptions are formally targeted at adults.
The Nigeria Tobacco Control Community has therefore called for the immediate recall of the consolidated Bill and a fresh, transparent review led by public health considerations.
CAPPA said obtaining the legislative records would help establish the facts surrounding the Bill’s development and enable the public to better understand the legislative process behind the proposed amendments.
Signed:
Robert Egbe
Media and Communications Officer
CAPPA
