The Nigeria Tobacco Control Alliance (NTCA) has raised the alarm over inadequate funding for tobacco control in the country, saying only about N28 million was allocated to the sector between 2023 and 2025.

The alliance warned that the low level of funding was undermining the implementation of the National Tobacco Control Act 2015 and weakening efforts to curb tobacco-related diseases and deaths across the country.

Speaking with journalists in Calabar on Wednesday, the Public Relations Officer of the NTCA, Mr Emmanuel Onwuka, said domestic investment in tobacco control stood at N4.7 million in 2023, N10 million in 2024 and N13 million in 2025.

He described the allocations as grossly inadequate, particularly in light of the growing health and economic burden associated with tobacco use in Nigeria.

According to him, the allocations contrast sharply with the estimated N526.4 billion Nigeria spent treating tobacco-related illnesses in 2019 alone, citing data from the Centre for the Study of the Economies of Africa.

Onwuka also cited the World Health Organisation (WHO) as estimating that more than 3.5 million Nigerians use tobacco, while about 16,100 people die annually from tobacco-related diseases.

He said critical tobacco control interventions, including the enforcement of smoke-free laws, public awareness campaigns, cessation services, research and monitoring of the tobacco industry, have remained largely dependent on international donor support.

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“Enforcement of smoke-free laws, public awareness campaigns, cessation services, research and tobacco industry monitoring have remained largely dependent on international donor funding,” he said.

Onwuka noted that organisations including Bloomberg Philanthropies, Vital Strategies, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids and the WHO have continued to support tobacco control advocacy, policy reforms and implementation efforts in Nigeria.

He, however, warned that declining global development funding could jeopardise such programmes and leave the country more vulnerable to aggressive tobacco industry marketing.

The NTCA spokesman called on the Federal Government to establish sustainable domestic financing for tobacco control by earmarking a portion of tobacco tax revenues exclusively for tobacco control programmes and enforcement.

He cited Gabon, which allocates one per cent of its tobacco tax revenues to tobacco control, and Côte d’Ivoire, which dedicates special tobacco levies to health programmes, as examples Nigeria could consider.

Onwuka quoted the Executive Secretary of the Rivers State Contributory Health Protection Programme, Dr Vetty Agala, as saying that sustainable tobacco control financing depends on effective revenue generation, resource pooling and strategic purchasing of health interventions.

He said dedicated funding would provide consistent resources for enforcement, public education, cessation services, research, institutional capacity building and the effective implementation of existing tobacco control laws.

According to him, the NTCA, Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa, and Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids have consistently advocated increasing annual government funding for tobacco control to at least N300 million.

He described the proposed N300 million annual allocation as a modest but practical investment, considering the rising cost of healthcare, productivity losses and preventable deaths associated with tobacco consumption.

Onwuka urged the Federal Government, the National Assembly and state governments to prioritise sustainable financing for tobacco control, stressing that stronger investment would help protect lives, reduce healthcare expenditure and improve national productivity.