Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) and Nigeria Tobacco Control Alliance (NTCA) have raised the alarm that the “National Tobacco Smoking Act 2015 law does not exist which raises concerns about the legislative intent and procedural soundness.
Reports said discussions are ongoing to review the NTCA 2015 to bolster tobacco control efforts in Nigeria.
The Senior Programme Manager, Policy Research of CAPPA, Zikora Ibeh, while briefing newsmen in Abuja Wednesday said CAPPA strongly recommends that the bill be withdrawn.
She stated that a public hearing was held last week at the House of Representatives to discuss two proposed bills aimed at amending the National Tobacco Control Act (NTCA) 2015, titled House Bill (HB) 47 and HB 1151.
She said while these bills represent an opportunity to strengthen tobacco control in Nigeria, they also reveal gaps that must be addressed to ensure that their proposed amendments align with what ought to be the ultimate goal, which is safeguarding the well-being of all Nigerians over the profit-driven interests of the tobacco industry.
She said the HB 1151, which seeks to impose stiffer penalties for violations of smoking regulations, suffers from a fundamental flaw in misrepresenting the title of the Principal Act and the referenced sections for amendments.
“Regarding HB 47, which aims to cure certain defects in the NTCA 2015, ensure its effective implementation, as well as address the lacuna that may be exploited by the tobacco industry in Nigeria, we have commended its intent but highlighted some gaps and areas that require strengthening,” she said.
She stated that there is need to strengthen the law and regulation to cover new and emerging tobacco products. There are emerging products such as vapes, e-cigarettes, nicotine pouches, heat-not-burn devices, and smokeless tobacco, which remain largely unregulated under the NTCA 2015.