Nigeria’s N9.2m Tobacco Control Budget Too Small to Tackle 26,800 Deaths – CAPPA
Nigeria’s 2026 tobacco control budget fell to N9.2 million from N13 million in 2025, a cut that threatens national public‑health efforts.
In Brief
- •Nigeria’s 2026 tobacco control budget fell to N9.2 million from N13 million in 2025, a cut that threatens national public‑health efforts.
- •The National Tobacco Control Act (NTCA) 2015 requires extensive enforcement, education and monitoring, yet the budget is insufficient to meet these obligations.
- •CAPPA’s Robert Egbe warned that two bills (HB 1151 and HB 47) were altered to weaken the NTCA, potentially easing regulation of e‑cigarettes and other nicotine products.
- •Egbe urged the National Assembly to raise the allocation to at least N300 million to sustain a modern tobacco‑control regime.
- •The 26,800 annual deaths linked to tobacco use in Nigeria underscore the urgency of adequate funding and robust legislation.
Why It Matters
Adequate funding is essential for implementing the NTCA’s comprehensive measures—public education, smoke‑free enforcement, and advertising bans—that can reduce tobacco‑related morbidity and mortality. A budget of only N9.2 million hampers these efforts, leaving families, the health system and the economy exposed to preventable disease costs. Strengthening the budget to N300 million, as advocated by CAPPA, would align financial resources with the legal obligations and public‑health goals of the NTCA, potentially saving thousands of lives and reducing long‑term health expenditures.
Key Details
- Annual tobacco‑related deaths in Nigeria
- 26,800
- 2025 budget allocation
- N13 million
- 2026 budget allocation
- N9.2 million
- Proposed minimum allocation
- N300 million
- NTCA amendment bills
- HB 1151 and HB 47
Original Reporting & Sources
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