Stakeholders in the Nigeria Tobacco Control Alliance have advocated for quick implementation of Tobacco Tax Earmarking in the country.
The position of the stakeholders is contained in a communiqué issued by Mr Olu’Seun Esan, spokesperson for the group at the end of their meeting on Thursday in Abuja.
Esan noted that tobacco remained a leading cause of death globally and in Nigeria.
He said the product required urgent attention especially with the various novel products and advertising methods the tobacco industry was contriving.
He said the burden of tobacco induced diseases on the public health of Nigerains was high adding that a concerted effort was needed to address the spate of tobacco induced diseases in the country.
“According to global best practices and recommendations of various experts, high tobacco tax is the single most effective way to reduce tobacco use,” he said.
Esan pointed out that healthcare and health coverage in Nigeria was underfunded, stressing that national health coverage and tobacco control needed more funding.
He said most countries of the world had successfully earmarked tobacco taxes and have recorded tremendous successes.
He called on Ministries, Department and Agencies represented at the meeting, to make recommendations to their offices for tobacco tax earmarking for public health and tobacco control.
“The Federal Ministry of Health should, as a matter of urgency, set up the National Tobacco Control Fund for financing tobacco control in the country,” he said.
Esan also called on the Civil Society Organisations to continue to put the conversations on tobacco tax earmarking in the public space.
He said the stakeholders agreed that there was need to get the political leaders to buy-in into tobacco tax earmarking in Nigeria.
The meeting was attended by senior officials from the Federal Ministry of Finance, Nigeria Customs Service, Ministry of Budget and National Planning, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trades and Investment aside other ministeries
