The Nigeria Tobacco Control Alliance (NTCA) hosted a one-day stakeholders’ meeting on effective financing for tobacco control in Nigeria on Tuesday, November 5, 2024, at the Bolton White Hotel in Garki, Abuja. This meeting brought together representatives from key organizations committed to advancing tobacco control in Nigeria.
In his opening remarks, the Executive Chair of NTCA, Akinbode Oluwafemi, highlighted the critical need for sustainable financing mechanisms. According to him, stakeholders within the tobacco control community must develop adaptive strategies to enhance financing for tobacco control in Nigeria.
Michael Olaniyan, the In-Country Coordinator for Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, discussed novel ways for effective financing of tobacco control, presenting global best practices that include: budgetary allocation, license fees (M.I.D.), vendor licenses, administrative charges, increased tobacco tax, social impact bonds, strategic litigation, compensation funds (solatium), specialized funds, environmental levies, corporate levies, earmarked taxes, and others.
There was also a discussion on global best practices that can be adopted in Nigeria, the role of taxation as a tool for public health and revenue generation, earmarking tobacco revenues for public health programs, and addressing illicit trade to maximize revenue.
At the end of the meeting, participants agreed on the necessity of unified advocacy among all stakeholders, focusing on influencing decisions at the upcoming National Council on Health (NCH). Partners should maintain consistent strategic alignment, as understanding government frameworks and policies is essential for tailoring requests and advocacy to align with national priorities.
Activities related to budget advocacy must be sustained, while there is a need for convergence on health taxes. Participants emphasized the importance of capitalizing on ‘low-hanging fruit’ by advocating for increased allocations in the 2025 budget cycle.
