Nigeria is ‘100% in line’ with Tobacco regulations

Christiana Ukoli, a professor and leader of Nigeria’s delegation at the on-going World Health Organisation (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, says Nigeria is 100% compliant with the WHO conventions on Tobacco control.

Ukoli recalled that former President Goodluck Jonathan signed a Tobacco control law in May 2015.

She explained that the law sets strong regulatory and control for smoking and promotion of Tobacco products in Nigeria.

“Nigeria is 100% in line with Tobacco Control and regulations as prescribed by the WHO FCTC Conventions,” she said.

“We have the strong backing of the minister of health on this and that of the federal government because Tobacco has very strong health issues. There is nothing good about Tobacco and it is very good that Nigeria has very good law on Tobacco Control.”

The University Don, who is also the chairman of the National Tobacco Control Committee, said attending the WHO FCTC COP7 in India for the first time had been an “eye opener”.

“Nigeria has been represented at previous WHO COP meetings. This COP7 has been good for me when it comes to Tobacco issues and what is being done to control Tobacco Globally,” she said.

“Our committee has keyed in into FCTC and we will continue to ensure strict compliance by the Tobacco industry.”

On the need for WHO to also balance the economic and business interests of national governments and Tobacco companies, Ukoli explained that the health problems associated with Tobacco far outweighed any economic or business consideration.

“There is nothing good about Tobacco health-wise and that is why WHO is trying to limit the business of Tobacco and also talk about Tobacco industry interference,” she said.

“The effect of Tobacco is not limited to smokers alone but also non-smokers who unconsciously are smoking passively. Most developing countries do not have resources to handle the public health issues that come from Tobacco business. What we can do is to control indiscriminate of tobacco by putting and enforcing all of these regulatory mechanisms we have.”