Every cigarette smoked carries a cost that goes far beyond the individual smoker, affecting families, healthcare systems and the nation’s economy.
Experts say stronger policies backed by credible evidence are critical to reversing the trend.
At a national workshop in Abuja, stakeholders unveiled a new Tobacco Control Dashboard designed to help policymakers make better decisions and strengthen tobacco control efforts across Nigeria.
For many Nigerian families, the true cost of tobacco is measured not just in hospital bills but in lives cut short, lost income, and children forced to care for sick loved ones.
Determined to change this reality, government officials, researchers, and civil society organisations are exploring how evidence can drive more effective tobacco control.
At the centre of discussions is the Tobacco Control Dashboard, developed by the Centre for the Study of the Economies of Africa (CSEA), designed as a one-stop platform providing data on tobacco use, taxation, illicit trade, industry interference, emerging products and their health impacts.
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The Executive Director of CSEA, Chukwuka Onyekwena, says tobacco control is no longer only a health concern but an economic, governance, and development issue requiring coordinated action across all sectors.
The Regional Programme Leader of the Tobacco Control Data Initiative, Seember Ali, notes that tobacco companies are increasingly targeting young people through sophisticated digital marketing, making timely evidence and coordinated responses more important than ever.
Participants also called for expanding the dashboard to address existing gaps, including tobacco-related agricultural data, to make it a truly comprehensive national resource.
With stronger evidence, effective enforcement, and greater collaboration, stakeholders believe Nigeria can better protect future generations from the devastating human and economic consequences of tobacco use.
(Editor: Ebuwa Omo-Osagie)
