More Nigerian youth at risk as govt fails to tackle illicit tobacco trade
In 2007, British American Tobacco Nigeria gifted the Nigerian Customs Service 10 Ford Ranger trucks worth N420 million to supposedly aid the agency’s operational activities. The donation was followed up with the signing of a memorandum of understanding with the government agency for a partnership to combat cigarette smuggling.
Nigeria ratified the global Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products in March 2019, becoming the 51st country to do so. The protocol contains provisions that require, among other things, the licensing of all entities involved in tobacco supply chains; tobacco companies to apply due diligence; and securing track and trace of tobacco products and production controls in factories.
But like the National Tobacco Control Act signed into law four years earlier, the lack of an institutional framework has greatly slowed down the enforcement of the ITP. But over a year later, the Nigerian government is still dragging its foot over the adoption of a system. In 2017, Atos, a company involved in developing Codentify, put in a bid for a track and trace tender in Chile.
“Even though we have no evidence currently, what we’ve learnt from other countries is that the industry will always try to stop the implementation of effective tobacco control policies,” said Ms Ochefu.Tobacco use kills more than eight million people every year, including the 1.2 million who are killed by the effects of exposure to second-hand smoke. Tobacco use is one of the main risk factors for a number of noncommunicable diseases, including cancer, lung and cardiovascular diseases.
In Nigeria, 5.6 per cent of adults aged 15 and above use tobacco products, according to the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, and the rates are much higher among men than women . “Since the ban of flavoured cigarettes in Nigeria, the industry can, through the back door of illicit tobacco trade, continue to sell flavoured cigarettes thereby enticing young people to pick up the deadly habit of smoking.”“These two factors make it easy for the youths to access them,” he added.
“Market women also place them side by side with candies, sweets, and biscuits in shops that kids frequent when they are on their way to and from school or when they are sent on errands by their parents,” MrJakpor, whose organisation contributed to the report, said. “We heard Customs was asking if the tobacco industry can approach them with their type of track and trace, like Codentify,” a source at the ministry, who did not want to be named because he was not authorised to speak on the issue, said.
Olu’Seun Esan, the programme coordinator at Nigeria Tobacco Control Alliance, noted that tobacco companies are still having a “field day” in Nigeria due to weak institutions and lack of effective implementation of the laws.
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