Stakeholders and experts are urging the Federal Government to fully implement graphic health warnings on all tobacco packaging and labelling as mandated by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
This move aims to spread awareness about the risks associated with tobacco products, reduce consumption, and assist individuals with limited literacy skills.
Despite some graphic warnings on cigarette packages in Nigeria, other tobacco products like shisha, snuff, and snus remain without such warnings.
The gap in regulation contradicts the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, which requires parties to enforce health warnings on tobacco product packaging.
As the current sets of graphic warnings will expire in June 2025, after a period of two years, experts and CSOs are pushing for these warnings to cover 50% of the display areas of all tobacco products at a press conference today in Abuja.
They pointed out the lack of full compliance with graphic health warnings on non-cigarette tobacco products in Nigerian markets.
As experts and CSOs continue to advocate for comprehensive implementation of graphic health warnings, the Ministry of Health and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission as well as Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON)) are urged to enhance their efforts to ensure nationwide compliance and enforcement.
However experts alleged that the tobacco industry continues to downplay its role in the creation of the problem; the industry is intensifying efforts to make tobacco appealing to Nigerians.
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Michael Olaniyan-Country Coordinator, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kid
Nwokorie Chibuike-Programme Manager
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Stakeholders and experts are urging the Federal Government to fully implement graphic health warnings on all tobacco packaging and labelling as mandated by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
This move aims to spread awareness about the risks associated with tobacco products, reduce consumption, and assist individuals with limited literacy skills.
This is Michael Olaniyan, Country Coordinator, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kid
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As experts and Civil Society Organisations, CSOs continue to advocate for comprehensive implementation of graphic health warnings, the Ministry of Health and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission as well as Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON)) are urged to enhance their efforts to ensure nationwide compliance and enforcement.
However experts alleged that the tobacco industry continues to downplay its role in the creation of the problem; the industry is intensifying efforts to make tobacco appealing to Nigerians.
Nwokorie Chibuike is a Tobacco ban activist.
