A growing coalition of Nigerian parents, public health professionals and advocacy groups have called on the Federal Government to urgently ban the sale of flavoured tobacco and vape products to minors, warning that the unchecked availability of these products is fuelling a rising addiction crisis among Nigerian youth.
A health communications specialist at Gatefield, Omei Bongos-Ikwue issued the call on Wednesday in Abuja in commemoration of World No Tobacco Day 2025. She said Nigeria is at a dangerous crossroads in its public health journey, with youth increasingly exposed to nicotine through flashy, candy-flavoured vape products marketed in a manner that appeals directly to children.
According to Bongos-Ikwue, the coalition, led by the Nigerian Cancer Society and Gatefield Impact, sounded the alarm after uncovering disturbing trends. School-aged children in uniform, she said, were able to purchase e-cigarettes from retail outlets across various cities without any form of age verification.
“This is not just a regulatory failure. It is a public health emergency,” she said. “In Nigeria today, a teenager in uniform can walk into a shop and walk out addicted to nicotine. This ends now.”
Despite increasing bans and regulations around the world, including in countries such as Ireland, Germany, the UK, Ethiopia, and New Zealand, she noted that Nigeria has yet to adopt comprehensive enforcement measures to safeguard young people from flavoured nicotine products. These are often packaged like candy and marketed via social media influencers with massive youth followings.
She expressed particular concern over aggressive marketing tactics employed by tobacco companies, including celebrity endorsements and fruity product lines designed to appeal to teenagers. “These include flashy packaging, flavours like mango and strawberry, and endorsements from figures like Burna Boy, whose branded e-cigarette line reaches over 20 million followers, many of them teenagers,” she said.
Bongos-Ikwue highlighted the dangers of nicotine addiction among young people, explaining that nicotine interferes with brain development and raises the risk of chronic conditions such as high blood pressure, lung disease and stroke. “Nigeria is not behind for lack of evidence, but because of inaction,” she warned.
The coalition also raised concerns about growing nicotine use among women, driven by subtle advertising campaigns embedded in beauty and lifestyle spaces. Research funded by the Gates Foundation, she said, has shown that smokeless tobacco products are increasingly sold in beauty stores, normalising their use among women.
“Tobacco companies once feminised cigarette ads; now they’re using the same strategies with vapes and nicotine pouches. It’s a public health trap cloaked in empowerment,” she added.
The coalition presented a series of urgent policy recommendations directed at the Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC). These include a nationwide ban on the sale of flavoured tobacco and vape products to anyone under the age of 18, the implementation of mandatory health warnings on all nicotine products and full ingredient disclosures.
Additionally, the coalition called for the removal of nicotine products from beauty stores, entertainment venues, and youth-centric retail locations. They also urged the Federal Government to expand its tobacco control laws to include synthetic nicotine and all vape products, which are currently being sold without adequate oversight.
Bongos-Ikwue stressed the importance of strict enforcement of advertising restrictions, especially those that exploit influencer marketing and social media to reach minors and young women. “Prof. Pate, you cannot look away,” she said. “The time for action is now. If we fail to act, we risk losing an entire generation to nicotine dependence.”
She warned that the tobacco industry has historically exploited regulatory loopholes to addict young users, targeting them early to create long-term consumers. “Now they aim to ensnare children with flavours that mimic fruit and sweets. It’s calculated. The government must act now to protect Nigeria’s future,” she said.
As World No Tobacco Day 2025 approaches, the coalition is intensifying its advocacy. “Our message is simple,” she concluded. “Our children deserve smoke-free environments where they can grow, learn and play without the threat of addiction hanging over their futures.”
World No Tobacco Day 2025, observed on May 31 under the theme “Bright Products. Dark Intentions,” draws attention to how the tobacco industry continues to target youth and women with colourful, flavoured products under the guise of trendiness and empowerment.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), tobacco remains the leading cause of preventable death globally. The WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region reports the highest youth smoking rates worldwide, with up to 43 per cent of adolescent boys and 20 per cent of girls using tobacco in countries such as Palestine, Jordan and Syria.
New nicotine products such as e-cigarettes and pouches are accelerating addiction rates, particularly among young people. The gender gap in tobacco use is also narrowing, putting more women and girls at risk of diseases like cervical cancer, fertility complications and osteoporosis.
The coalition warned that, without swift, coordinated action, Nigeria risks joining the ranks of countries battling large-scale youth nicotine addiction, an epidemic that threatens to undermine years of progress in public health.
