Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has urged the Nigerian government to take immediate action against the rapid rise of e-cigarettes and novel tobacco products. Speaking at a press briefing for World No Tobacco Day 2026, the advocacy group warned that tobacco companies are actively using sweet flavors, sleek designs, and digital marketing to hook young people across the country.
According to CAPPA’s recent report, New Smoke Trap: New and Emerging Nicotine and Tobacco Products, Youth Exposure and Policy Gaps in Nigeria, market surveillance in Lagos, Enugu, and the Federal Capital Territory identified 781 nicotine and tobacco products. Strikingly, 573 of these were new and emerging devices.
These products are deliberately designed to appeal to youth and bypass adult supervision. They feature vibrant colors and compact shapes that closely resemble:
- Cosmetics and toys
- USB flash drives
- Pens and highlighters
“The tobacco industry has always survived by changing its costume while preserving its central business model, which is the manufacture of addiction for profit,” said Zikora Ibeh, CAPPA’s Assistant Executive Director. She emphasized that kid-friendly flavors like mango, strawberry, and bubble gum serve as the primary entry points for youth nicotine addiction by masking the harshness of the chemical.
While Nigeria has historically relied on taxation to curb traditional smoking, CAPPA argues that fiscal measures alone are no longer sufficient. “A product can be taxed and still become fashionable, accessible, socially admired, and culturally normalized,” Ibeh noted.
To combat this growing public health crisis, CAPPA is calling for a multi-pronged regulatory approach:
- An outright ban on flavored nicotine products and youth-oriented packaging.
- Stricter digital marketing controls and rigid restrictions on sales to minors.
- Extending existing public-use smoking bans to include vapes and heated tobacco devices.
- Preventing the glamorization of smoking at major cultural events, such as the Ojude Oba Festival.
The health consequences of these new products are already manifesting in Nigeria. Dr. Goke Akinrogunde, a public health expert, warned that clinics are seeing an unprecedented spike in young patients suffering from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)—a debilitating condition that permanently reduces breathing capacity, long-term productivity, and overall quality of life.