By Ayomide Otitoju
The Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has called on the Federal Government to raise the excise tax on tobacco products to 100%, citing health and economic benefits.
In a statement signed by its Media and Communication Officer, Robert Egbe, the group warned that the tobacco industry is aggressively marketing traditional and novel products, such as vapes and e-cigarettes, to Nigerians despite their proven health risks.
CAPPA said higher taxation could save thousands of lives and reduce Nigeria’s annual ₦526 billion loss to healthcare costs and productivity decline linked to tobacco-related diseases.
The group noted that 90% of tobacco production occurs in developing countries like Nigeria, which bear the environmental burden while wealthier nations reap most of the profits. Data from the Nigerian Tobacco Control Data Initiative shows Nigerians consume over 20 billion cigarettes annually, causing nearly 30,000 deaths each year.
Currently, Nigeria operates a mixed excise tax regime comprising a 30% ad valorem tax, a specific ₦84-per-pack levy, and shisha/tobacco duties. CAPPA urged the government to match the tough anti-tobacco measures recently adopted by Senegal, Kenya, and South Africa, and to allocate part of the revenue to health promotion and NCD prevention.
Executive Director Akinbode Oluwafemi accused the tobacco industry of “grooming the next set of addicts” to replace those lost to tobacco-related illnesses, warning that the products strain health systems, reduce productivity, and deepen poverty.
