A growing coalition of Nigerian parents, public health professionals, and advocacy groups is calling on the Federal Government to urgently ban the sale of flavoured tobacco and vape products to children.
The coalition warned that the ease of access to these products is fuelling a rising nicotine addiction crisis among Nigerian youth, demanding immediate intervention to protect the country’s future.
Speaking in commemoration of the World Tobacco Day on Wednesday in Abuja, Ms Omei Bongos-Ikwue, Health Communications Specialist at Gatefiel, said that Nigeria was at a critical crossroads in addressing the rising threat of e-cigarettes.
Bongos-Ikwue said that the coalition was led by the Nigerian Cancer Society and advocacy group, Gatefield Impact.
She said that it sounded the alarm following disturbing findings that school-aged children in uniform were able to purchase e-cigarettes from retail outlets in several locations without any form of age verification.
“This is not just a regulatory failure. It is a public health emergency.
“In Nigeria today, a teenager in uniform can walk into a shop and walk out addicted to nicotine. This ends now.” She spoke.
The Communications specialist acknowledged mounting international evidence and growing bans globally, including Ireland, the UK, Germany, Ethiopia, and New Zealand.
she, however, said that Nigeria was yet to adopt strong enforcement measures to protect its youth from flavoured nicotine products marketed in candy-like packaging.
She expressed particular concern about the aggressive marketing tactics employed by the tobacco industry in Nigeria.
“These include flashy packaging, fruity flavours, and endorsements from major celebrities such as Burna Boy, whose branded e-cigarette line reaches more than 20 million followers, many of them youths.
“Nicotine harms young people’s brain development and increases risks for chronic illnesses such as high blood pressure, lung disease, and stroke, Nigeria is behind, not for lack of evidence, but because of inaction,” she said.
In addition to the youth appeal, she warned of growing use among women, driven by discreet marketing tactics in beauty and lifestyle spaces.
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“Research funded by the Gates Foundation indicates that smokeless tobacco products are increasingly purchased by women in beauty stores, where they are viewed as socially acceptable.
“Tobacco companies once feminised cigarette ads; now they are using the same strategies with vapes and nicotine pouches, it is a public health trap cloaked in empowerment,” she said.
She outlined a series of urgent policy recommendations to the Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission.
She urged the government to take concrete steps to curb the growing threat of youth nicotine addiction.
“These include a nationwide ban on flavoured tobacco and vape sales to anyone under 18, as well as mandatory clear health warnings and full ingredient disclosure on all nicotine products,” she said.
Bongos-Ikwue also called for the removal of nicotine products from beauty stores, entertainment venues, and youth-focused retail environments, alongside the expansion of Nigeria’s tobacco control laws to include synthetic nicotine and vape products.
She said that there was a need for strict enforcement of advertising bans, particularly those targeting minors and women through influencer marketing and social media campaigns.
“The tobacco industry has exploited regulatory gaps for decades, targeting children to create lifelong customers.
“Now, it aims to ensnare them with flavours that mimic fruit and sweets. The government must act now to protect Nigeria,” she said.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that World No Tobacco Day 2025, observed on May 31 under the theme “Bright Products. Dark Intentions,” highlights how the tobacco industry targets women and youths with flavoured, colourful products.
Tobacco remains the leading cause of preventable death globally, with the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region bearing a heavy burden, especially among adolescents.
The region records the highest youth smoking rates worldwide, with up to 43 per cent of adolescent boys and 20 per cent of girls using tobacco. Countries like Palestine, Jordan, and Syria rank among the highest.
The use of new nicotine products like e-cigarettes is fuelling addiction, particularly among vulnerable groups.
The gender gap in tobacco use is narrowing, exposing more women and girls to serious health risks, including cervical cancer, fertility problems, and osteoporosis, and signalling an urgent need for stronger tobacco control measures.
NAN
