Nigeria Tobacco Control Alliance (NTCA) has called on the federal government to ensure that Tobacco key players are issued license to properly operationalize in any form across the country.
The Project Officer, Nwokorie Chibuike, while speaking during the ministerial press briefing to mark the 2022 World No Tobacco Day said Tobacco from farming cultivation to consumption is a threat to human development.
He said that NTCA is ready to partner with the Ministry of Health to ensure that Tobacco is properly regulated and controlled in Nigeria .
He further demanded that the taxation of Tobacco production should be increased and all aspects of Tobacco regulations are enforced among others .
In compliance with the National Tobacco Act (2015) and Regulations (2019), the government has commenced screening and issuing operational licences to qualified tobacco businesses in the country with a view to profiling and monitoring the industry activities nationwide.
The minister of state for health,Olorunimbe Mamora, said that the new three-year tax regime took effect from June 1.
Mamora also said shisha was taxed at N3,000 per litre and N1,000 per kilogramme. It will increase yearly by N500.
He said “this pro-health tax is an effective public health control measure against behavioural risk factors as it can reduce demand and consumption of tobacco products.
“It will also prompt tobacco users to switch spending their resources on tobacco products to healthy alternatives such as education, health and others,” he said .
