Framework Convention on Tobacco Control Implementation in Nigeria: Lessons for Low- and Middle-Income Countries

Abstract

The tobacco industry works to block FCTC implementation even after a country ratifies the treaty. The Nigerian case illustrates that it is essential for health authorities to remain vigilant and ensure that the tobacco industry does not play a decision-making role in the process of tobacco legislation and regulation either directly or indirectly. The unprecedented step of requiring approval of implementing regulations for the Nigerian law should not be allowed to become a precedent in other countries.

Role of stakeholders in Nigeria’s tobacco control journey after the FCTC: lessons for tobacco control advocacy in low-income and middle-income countries

“…The tobacco control advocates’ efforts in Nigeria yielded a more comprehensive tobacco control law for Nigeria in 2015, but as of May 2018, the law had not yet been fully implemented 19. The experience of tobacco control advocacy in Nigeria illustrates that the tobacco industry can be blocked if citizens partner with the government, media and the global tobacco control community.…”

“…Nigerian tobacco control advocates succeeded in securing the passage of the NCTA 2015 which is more comprehensive than the previous tobacco law, Decree 20 of 199019 through engagement with politicians and the media, as well as recruiting prominent Nigerians to campaign for a strong tobacco law. However, the tobacco industry succeeded in weakening the bill, with the resulting law falling short of effective FCTC implementation 19.…”

“…However, the tobacco industry succeeded in weakening the bill, with the resulting law falling short of effective FCTC implementation 19. The industry used front groups, third party allies and politicians to push for change in the draft law during the legislative process.…”

“…We retrieved Nigerian newspaper articles published between January 2008 (when the visible effort to pass a comprehensive law started19) and July 2017 using Google searches of key Nigerian newspaper websites (ie, Guardian, Vanguard, Daily Trust, Leadership, This Day, Premium Times) . Search terms included ‘tobacco’, tobacco control’, tobacco law’, national tobacco control bill’ and ‘national tobacco control act’.…”

The Framework Convention on Tobacco Control in Slovakia and in Finland: one law, two different practices?

“…As experience from other countries such as the Pacific islands and Brazil shows, strong support by the authorities at governmental and non-governmental levels and especially developing infrastructure capacity contributes to achieving successful results in tobacco control policy [75,76]. Protection from interference by the tobacco industry also represents a very important part of tobacco control policy [77,78]. Generally speaking, based on the presence of governmental and non-governmental bodies in line with the above examples, one might expect some decrease in the number of smokers [79], and consequently also in societal tolerance.…”