Ekiti, CAPPA intensify campaign against tobacco, nicotine addiction

Ekiti State in Nigeria is intensifying its fight against tobacco and nicotine addiction through a partnership with Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA). The collaboration aims to curb the growing use of these products, particularly among the youth, and protect public health.

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It is destroying our future. We must all become advocates and speak out against it.

During a stakeholders' engagement in Ado Ekiti, marking World No Tobacco Day, Sola Gbenga-Igotun, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health and Human Services, highlighted the alarming exposure of children and adolescents to tobacco and newer nicotine products. "It is destroying our future. We must all become advocates and speak out against it," she urged, emphasizing the need for immediate action. Gbenga-Igotun warned that many nicotine products are odorless, making it difficult for parents to detect their children's use, with some as young as seven years old already affected.

Dr. Abayomi Ibrahim, Director of Public Health, revealed the state's intention to update its tobacco control policies to address emerging products like shisha and e-cigarettes. Ekiti State has previously achieved milestones, including the 2012 Smoke-Free Law and the 2025 Ado Ekiti Declaration, which established the capital as a smoke-free city. However, challenges persist, including weak enforcement, insufficient funding, the increasing appeal of nicotine products to youth, interference from the tobacco industry, and a lack of comprehensive data.

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Some children as young as seven, eight and nine years old are already victims. Some are smoking these products, and because many of them are odourless, parents may not even know.

To overcome these hurdles, Ibrahim advocated for enhanced enforcement through training for health and law enforcement officials, dedicated funding for tobacco control programs, and expanded youth-focused initiatives like school awareness campaigns and peer education. He also stressed the importance of deeper community engagement with traditional and religious leaders, alongside improved monitoring systems. Zikora Ibeh of CAPPA commended Ekiti State's commitment, while cautioning that tobacco companies are increasingly targeting young people with alternative nicotine products.

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We must take action