By Toyin Victor-Abuja
The Nigeria Tobacco Control Alliance (NTCA) is pushing for stronger government funding for tobacco control, warning that inadequate financial support could undermine the implementation of Nigeria’s tobacco control law.
A study published in PLOS ONE in March 2022 estimated that smoking caused approximately 29,000 deaths annually in Nigeria. The study also estimated the economic burden attributable to tobacco at ₦634 billion in 2019, covering medical expenses, lost productivity and costs borne by informal caregivers.
Nigeria’s National Tobacco Control Act 2015 provides for a Tobacco Control Fund under Section 8 to support tobacco control activities. The fund’s designated sources include government appropriations, fines for violations and contributions from relevant development bodies.
However, the existence of the legal framework has raised a key question about whether funding is sufficient to turn its provisions into effective action. At a technical session organised by NTCA and Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) in Abuja in October 2025, stakeholders called for sustainable domestic financing and discussed challenges affecting access to the fund.
In March 2025, NTCA and CAPPA urged the Federal Government to raise the fund’s allocation from ₦13 million to at least ₦300 million, arguing that the existing provision was inadequate for the country’s tobacco control needs.
The Alliance has also cautioned against overreliance on international donors to sustain public health programmes. While external partners have supported research, advocacy and capacity building, consistent domestic financing is needed to maintain public awareness campaigns, monitor compliance with tobacco laws and support enforcement after donor-funded projects end.
Tobacco taxation is another option for raising revenue while discouraging tobacco consumption. In a February 2019 BusinessDay article, economists Adedeji Adeniran and Joseph Ishaku of the Centre for the Study of the Economies of Africa examined how tobacco taxes could help reduce consumption and generate revenue for public health measures.
International experience provides examples of the potential impact. In South Africa, higher real cigarette excise taxes between 1994 and 2004 coincided with declining cigarette consumption and smoking prevalence, while real tobacco tax revenue increased. The World Health Organization has also reported that tobacco tax revenue in The Gambia nearly tripled between 2011 and 2018, while cigarette imports fell by more than 60 per cent.
For Nigeria, the central issue is whether government funding will match the objectives of its tobacco control law. NTCA and other public health advocates are calling for stronger domestic investment, while state governments are also expected to support tobacco control within their jurisdictions. They argue that without dependable funding, the law’s potential to protect public health may remain unrealised.