CAPPA pushes for 100% Tobacco tax to save lives

The Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has called on the Federal Government to immediately raise excise taxes on tobacco products to 100 percent, warning that the measure could save thousands of lives and help the country recover at least ₦526 billion each year lost to healthcare costs and reduced productivity linked to tobacco use.

In a statement, CAPPA cautioned that despite overwhelming evidence of tobacco’s health risks, the industry continues to target Nigerians — especially the youth — with both traditional and emerging products such as vapes and e-cigarettes.

The organisation described tobacco use as a major driver of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) that are costly and debilitating, citing World Health Organization (WHO) data linking it to premature deaths from lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cardiovascular disease, dementia, birth defects, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), vision loss, skin damage, and weakened bones.

Quoting figures from the Nigerian Tobacco Control Data Initiative, CAPPA noted that 90 percent of global tobacco production takes place in developing nations, including Nigeria, where the health and environmental consequences are most severe, while richer countries benefit economically.

The group recalled that government records from 2018 showed Nigerians smoked over 20 billion sticks of cigarettes annually, with nearly 30,000 tobacco-related deaths recorded each year.

Nigeria’s current tobacco tax regime includes a 30 percent ad valorem tax on unit production cost, a specific excise tax of ₦84 per 20-stick cigarette pack introduced on 1 June 2022, and a shisha/tobacco tax of ₦3,000 per litre or ₦1,000 per kilogram, with annual ₦500 increments.

CAPPA also pointed out that although the government proposed increasing the tobacco tax to 50 percent in April 2023, the policy has yet to be implemented.

It urged authorities to adopt stronger tobacco control measures in line with global standards, noting that several African countries have already taken more decisive action to reduce tobacco use and protect public health.