Stand Up for Public Health, Groups Tell Nigerian Delegation to Tobacco COP
Civil society organisations (CSOs) working in tobacco control have cautioned Nigeria’s delegation to the Eleventh Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 11) to the World Health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC), kicking off in Geneva, Switzerland, tomorrow, against yielding to the influence of the tobacco industry and its allies. In […]
Nigeria Slips to 54th in Global Ranking, As Tobacco Industry Interference Worsens
Nigeria has suffered a decline in the global ranking of countries protecting public health policies from tobacco industry influence, according to the 2025 Nigeria Tobacco Industry Interference (TII) Index released in Lagos on Thursday. The report, produced by Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), shows that Nigeria’s score worsened from 60 in 2023 to 62 […]
COP 30: Nature Not for Sale, CAPPA, HOMEF, Others Warn Nigeria
Environmental rights organisations advancing climate justice have condemned Vice President Kashim Shettima‘s recent call for new finance mechanisms to “harness the economic value of nature”, describing it as an attempt to commodify the environment. Speaking in Belém, Brazil, ahead of the ongoing United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 30), the Vice President had urged the […]
Maldives Bans Tobacco for Anyone Born After 2006
The Maldives has banned anyone born on or after January 1, 2007, from buying, using or smoking any form of tobacco, becoming the first and only country in the world to enforce a nationwide generational tobacco prohibition. The country’s Ministry of Health said in a statement that the bold public health measure was designed to […]
WHO, CTFK Warn Govts of Tobacco Industry Interference at Global Conference
The World Health Organisation’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) Secretariat and the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids (CTFK) have separately warned governments to guard against increasing efforts by the tobacco industry to influence global health policy decisions ahead of a major international conference in Geneva this month. The warnings come as 183 Parties prepare […]
Entries Open for Freedom of Information Awards in Nigeria
Lagos, Thursday, October 23, 2025: The Media Rights Agenda (MRA) has announced the formal opening of its Call for Entries for the Dr. Goodluck Jonathan Freedom of Information (FOI) Awards 2026. Named in honour of former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR, who signed the FOI Act into Law on May 28, 2011, the awards are designed to […]
‘Foreign, Local Groups Targeting Nigerian Students with Nicotine Products’
Tobacco control advocacy organisations in Nigeria have called on the Federal Government, health authorities, and relevant stakeholders to take immediate action against the clandestine marketing of nicotine-based products disguised as “harm reduction education” by local tobacco industry fronts and a group from Sweden. In a joint statement, the Nigerian Tobacco Control Alliance (NTCA), Corporate Accountability […]
World Lung Day: Protect Nigerians from Harm Reduction Scam
By Robert Egbe In May this year, I received an unusual email. It was an invitation from a public relations firm in South Africa, one I had never heard of, to attend a program in Cape Town. They would provide logistical arrangements. All that was required was that I write and publish at least two […]
Nigeria’s Health Financing: Lessons From Canada’s $32.5bn Tobacco Settlement
By Robert Egbe Nigeria’s decision to earmark SIN taxes – levies on alcohol, tobacco, and sugary drinks – for health financing signals a firm commitment to prioritising citizens’ health. It also aligns with long-standing calls from Nigerian public health advocates and the World Health Organisation (WHO). The move could not be timelier. Earlier this year, […]
From Oil Fields to Solar Grids: What Addis Climate Summit Means for Nigeria
By Robert Egbe As African leaders wrapped up the Second Africa Climate Summit (ACS-2) in Addis Ababa last week, one message stood out clearly: the continent can no longer wait for others to set its climate agenda. For Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation and its largest oil producer, the stakes could not be higher. Held […]
