CAPPA, NTCA ask FG to increase budgetary allocation for tobacco control fund

The Nigerian Tobacco Control Alliance (NTCA) and Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) have called on the federal government to increase the allocation for the Tobacco Control Fund (TCF).

The organisations said the current N13 million allocated in the 2025 budget is “grossly insufficient” and called for a minimum allocation of N300 million to effectively implement the National Tobacco Control Act (NTCA) 2015 and protect Nigerians from tobacco-related harms.

The TCF was established under the National Tobacco Control Act (NTCA) 2015 to combat tobacco consumption’s harmful effects.

It is funded through budget appropriations, fines for tobacco law violations, and contributions from development bodies.

Speaking at a press briefing on Tuesday, Akinbode Oluwafemi, CAPPA’s executive director, said there was need for increased funding, as the lives of Nigerians is at stake.

“We urge the government to prioritise the Tobacco Control Fund, increase the allocation to at least N300 million as an urgent measure to stop the tobacco industry from causing more damage,” he said.

Oluwafemi also warned that the tobacco industry is “aggressively” promoting newer, stylish products, particularly targeting the youth population.

“While the government drags its feet on adequate allocation to the Tobacco Control Fund, the tobacco industry is relentlessly lobbying the public to embrace newer, stylish kinds of harmful tobacco products and other so-called smokeless nicotine-filled products that it falsely presents as ‘less harmful’ or ‘safer’ than traditional tobacco use,” he said.

Olawale Makanjuola, NTCA’s alliance coordinator, stressed the importance of transparency in administering the TCF.

He said increasing the sum in the budget, without efficient deployment of same to tobacco control efforts would be counterproductive.

“We urge the ministry of health and social welfare to provide regular updates on the status of the Fund, including its balance, sources of the monies in the Fund and details of expenditures,” he said

Makanjuola also advised the government to comply with the law in administering the TCF.

“The National Tobacco Control Act requires 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,” he said.

On his part, Michael Olaniyan, country coordinator for the campaign for tobacco-free kids, warned that Nigeria’s failure to act on the TCF would lead to devastating consequences.

“Every day Nigeria fails to adequately fund tobacco control, more lives are lost. Our youth are targeted by deadly marketing, and our health system edges closer to total collapse under the weight of preventable diseases,” he said.

“If the government does not act now with a substantial budgetary allocation to the Tobacco Control Fund, they are not just failing in local and global commitment to health policies—we are failing our people. The time to seriously fund tobacco control is now.”