Civil society organisations (CSOs) working in tobacco control have urged Nigeria’s delegation to the Eleventh Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP11) to the World Health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) to stand firm against interference from the tobacco industry and its allies.
In a joint statement signed on Sunday by Robert Egbe Media and Communication Officer, CAPPA, the groups warned of a renewed global campaign by tobacco multinationals to infiltrate COP11 deliberations through proxies, with the aim of pushing for the legitimisation of nicotine-based and other novel products, including e-cigarettes, under the guise of harm reduction.
The organisations—Nigeria Tobacco Control Alliance (NTCA), Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), Gatefield, Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN), Centre for Youth Inclusion and Development, and other public health advocates—cautioned the delegation not to “sell out Nigeria’s public health.”
They further demanded that government representatives reject all industry-linked funding, partnerships, and influence, warning that Nigerians will hold the delegation fully accountable for any action that undermines the fight against tobacco and nicotine addiction.
According to the statement, the Nigerian delegation must uphold the spirit and provisions of Sections 25–28, 33–34, and 38(2) of the National Tobacco Control Act, which collectively prohibit financial and non-financial interactions between government officials and the tobacco industry or its proxies.
They also reminded delegates of their obligations under Article 5.3 of the WHO FCTC, which explicitly mandates Parties to safeguard public health policies from the commercial and vested interests of tobacco companies.
“We are aware that the tobacco industry and its front groups are working overtime to manipulate discussions at COP11 through delegates, pushing narratives that normalise nicotine addiction and weaken existing tobacco control measures,” the statement read. “Nigeria must not be complicit in this devious strategy.”
The groups called on the Nigerian government to demonstrate leadership in protecting its citizens—especially young people—from addiction and exploitation by multinational tobacco corporations seeking to widen their footprint across Africa.
“Tobacco kills over seven million people every year,” the advocates warned. “Now the industry wants to hook a new generation on nicotine using shiny gadgets, false marketing, and manipulation of regulatory officials.”
They described novel nicotine products as “the new faces of the same deadly business,” arguing that so-called harm-reduction devices are part of the industry’s strategy to sustain profits while creating new waves of addiction.
“These nicotine-based products touted as less harmful alternatives are not solutions; they are traps,” the groups said. “The same companies that created a century of death and addiction now want to rebrand themselves as part of the solution. It is deception at its peak, and Nigeria must not fall for it.”
The CSOs insisted that Nigeria’s delegates must “go to Geneva to defend life, not profit,” stressing that they will be held responsible for any stance that strengthens industry interests or weakens public health protections.
They added that industry interference remains the biggest barrier to effective tobacco control globally and warned that legitimising novel nicotine products would roll back gains achieved under the National Tobacco Control Act and other policies.
“We call on Nigerian delegates to stand firm with the global public health community, resist any form of industry influence, and support decisions that advance a tobacco-free future,” the statement concluded.
COP11 will run from 17–22 November in Geneva, bringing together Parties to the Convention to take decisions aimed at curbing nicotine addiction and protecting public health and the environment.
The Meeting of the Parties (MOP) to the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products will follow from 24–26 November. The Protocol, in force since 2018, currently has 71 Parties. At the MOP, countries will consider measures to strengthen global efforts to end illicit trade in tobacco products.
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