Comply with tobacco control funding law, NTCA urges FG

The Nigeria Tobacco Control Alliance (NTCA) has urged the Federal Government to ensure that funds allocated for tobacco control are remitted to the Tobacco Control Fund account, as stipulated in the National Tobacco Control Act.

It made the call on Tuesday, February 27, 2024, at a media briefing on the 2024 tobacco control budget, in Abuja.

NTCA is a network of Civil Society Groups (CSOs), Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), Community-Based Organizations (CBOs), Faith-Based Organizations (FBOs), and several professionals canvassing a tobacco-free Nigeria.

The group’s chairman, Akinbode Oluwafemi, whose speech was titled “Close the tobacco control funding gap”, noted that the N10 million provided in the national budget for tobacco control was an improvement on the N4.7 million of the 2023 budget.

Nevertheless, he lamented that it was far short of the billions required to adequately regulate tobacco consumption and protect Nigerians’ health.

Oluwafemi spoke against the backdrop of the estimated 28, 000 Nigerians who lost their lives in 2023 to tobacco or tobacco-linked diseases.

Oluwafemi said by earmarking tobacco tax for tobacco control measures, the government can establish a funding mechanism that directly aligns with the objectives of ending tobacco consumption, preventing tobacco-related diseases, and promoting public health.

He explained that the Alliance had regularly argued that limited funding hinders the comprehensive implementation of measures outlined in the National Tobacco Control Act, designed to tightly regulate tobacco products and tobacco use in the country, and ultimately reduce the burden of cancer and other non-communicable diseases in Nigeria.

He said: “With Nigeria’s frail health system, and the lean pocket suffered by many Nigerians, the Federal Government ought to prioritize financing the enforcement of tobacco control measures to ensure that diseases associated with tobacco products are prevented.

“Another critical concern is whether the monies previously budgeted were released into the Fund account.

“It is imperative to remind the Federal Government that the National Tobacco Control Act stipulates that funds allocated for tobacco control in the national budget or from other sources are to be remitted to the Tobacco Control Fund account for utilization.

“We strongly desire to see that this is complied with, and for this reason we call on the Federal Ministry of Health to provide an update on the status of the Tobacco Control Fund, specifically detailing the current balance, sources of the monies in the Fund and details of previous spendings from the Fund.”

The Alliance further raised concern about whether all tobacco companies had been fulfilling their obligation of paying for operating licenses after gaining approval to operate in Nigeria.

Oluwafemi said: “Allowing tobacco companies to operate without licenses not only poses a health hazard due to the harmful nature of their products but also bleeds the country of revenue and undermines the regulatory framework and efforts to control tobacco use in the country. Where infractions are discovered, appropriate penalties should be applied.”

The group urged the Federal Government to consider earmarking tobacco tax “as a dedicated source for financing tobacco control enforcement efforts in the country.”

Olufemi explained that by earmarking tobacco tax for tobacco control measures, “the government can establish a funding mechanism that directly aligns with the objectives of ending tobacco consumption, preventing tobacco-related diseases, and promoting public health.

“Moreover, earmarking tobacco tax for tobacco control initiatives ensures that the burden of funding these critical programs does not fall solely on the government’s general budget.”

Michael Olaniyan, Nigeria Country Coordinator at Tobacco-Free Kids buttressed Oluwafemi, adding that a well-funded tobacco control effort is critical to preventing more Nigerians from falling into the extremely addictive and harmful tobacco trap set by the tobacco industry.

“N10 million is a drop in the ocean. Government needs to sit up,” Olaniyan added.

Chibuike Nwokorie, Programme Officer of NTCA, also tasked the government to increase tobacco control funding, noting that “Donor funding will end someday. Then what happens next? How ill tobacco control efforts be sustained?”