A non-governmental organisation, Nigeria Tobacco Control Alliance has urged President Bola Tinubu to champion the strengthening and implementation of tobacco control laws to protect the health of Nigerians.
He noted that while tobacco cultivation has declined in the developed world in recent years, it has picked up in low-income countries in Africa, majorly in Malawi, Kenya, Uganda, and Zambia.“During tobacco cultivation and curing, wet tobacco leaves produce nicotine and other toxins that are absorbed into the body. This causes green tobacco sickness among farmers. Tobacco growers are also known to suffer from respiratory and neurological disorders due to exposure to tobacco leaves.
“According to the United Nations, over 25 million people in Nigeria are facing hunger, and globally, that figure stands at over 300 million people. In the face of this looming food insecurity, large portions of arable lands are turning into barren wastelands from tobacco cultivation. “Article 17 of the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control encourages parties to promote economically viable and sustainable alternatives to tobacco farmers. In Nigeria, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is responsible for championing this objective. However, it is unclear how much land is used for tobacco farming in Nigeria. This critical data gap makes it difficult to identify and plan interventions for tobacco farmers,” he said.
He called on the FMARD to make known the extent of tobacco farming in Nigeria and roll out plans to help tobacco farmers transition to nutritious and healthy crops such as maize, cassava, guinea corn and even livestock. “The Federal Ministry of Health, Standards Organisation of Nigeria, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Nigeria Customs Service, the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps, and all agencies saddled with the implementation of the National Tobacco Control Act must synergize, share information and resources and work cohesively for the implementation of these laws,” he added.All rights reserved.
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