By Ameh Gabriel
ABUJA, August 7, 2025 – The Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has urged the Federal Government to immediately raise excise tax on tobacco products to 100 percent, saying the move could save thousands of lives and at least ₦526 billion annually in healthcare costs and productivity losses.
In a statement on Thursday, CAPPA warned that the tobacco industry is aggressively marketing both traditional cigarettes and novel smokeless products, including vapes and e-cigarettes, to Nigerians — despite overwhelming evidence of their severe health risks.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has linked tobacco use to a wide range of life-threatening conditions, including lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cardiovascular disease, birth defects, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), dementia, vision loss, gastrointestinal diseases, skin damage and weakened bones.
Citing the Nigerian Tobacco Control Data Initiative, CAPPA noted that 90 percent of global tobacco production occurs in developing countries like Nigeria, which bear the brunt of the environmental damage, while wealthier nations reap most of the profits.
Federal government figures show Nigerians consumed over 20 billion cigarettes in 2018, with nearly 30,000 tobacco-related deaths annually. An analysis by the Centre for the Study of the Economies of Africa (CSEA) revealed Nigeria spent ₦526.4 billion treating tobacco-related diseases in 2019 alone.
Currently, Nigeria’s tax regime on tobacco includes a 30 percent ad valorem tax, a specific excise tax of ₦84 per pack of 20 cigarettes (introduced June 2022), and shisha/tobacco levies of ₦3,000 per litre or ₦1,000 per kg, increasing by ₦500 yearly. Although the government proposed raising the rate to 50 percent in April 2023, the change has yet to take effect.
CAPPA called on Nigeria to adopt global best practices and follow the example of African nations tightening tobacco control:
Senegal recently raised tobacco taxes from 70 percent to 100 percent.
Kenya has banned the import of tobacco and nicotine-containing products such as vapes to curb youth addiction.
South Africa has proposed outlawing vaping and smoking in public after studies confirmed vaping’s harmful effects.
“In Nigeria, the tobacco industry is grooming the next set of addicts with vapes and e-cigarettes under the guise of a so-called ‘harm reduction strategy’,” said Akinbode Oluwafemi, CAPPA’s Executive Director. “These products are addictive, harmful, and drain our health system. Raising taxes to 100 percent is a proven way to reduce consumption and save billions in healthcare spending.”
CAPPA further urged the government to allocate part of the increased revenue to health promotion, prevention of non-communicable diseases, and the full enforcement of the National Tobacco Control Act. It also advised state and federal authorities to resist tobacco industry interference in public health policymaking.
Signed:
Robert Egbe
Media & Communication Officer
Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA)
