A coalition of over 300 Nigerian parents and public health advocates has petitioned the government, demanding urgent sanctions against the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) for its failure to curb the increasing sale and marketing of e-cigarettes and flavoured vapes to minors.
The petition was signed Tuesday in Abuja as part of the World No Tobacco Day 2025 campaign. The signatories described the situation as a public health crisis, citing the growing popularity of fruit-flavoured nicotine products among children, some reportedly as young as 10 years old.
President of the Federation of Muslim Women’s Association of Nigeria (FOMWAN), Kwara Chapter, Nimat Labaika warned that tobacco companies are now aggressively targeting children in a bid to sustain their profits. “For us not to lose our future leaders, we have to collectively lend our voices,” she told journalists.
Labaika called on the FCCPC to immediately issue clear guidelines restricting the sale of tobacco and vape products to minors, warning that the agency risks facing public backlash and sanctions for its perceived inaction. “Research cited at the event indicates that five million Nigerian youths are already addicted to smoking, with 25,000 new youth smokers added every day,” she said.
Uju Nnwoka, a mother-of-two, added: “I believe the FCCPC should be sanctioned to do their job, protect our children, and enforce existing regulations against tobacco companies.”
Kenneth Anetor, a representative of Voices for Tobacco Control, noted that the campaign has exposed the absence of comprehensive legislation governing the marketing and sale of vapes and flavoured tobacco products in Nigeria. He referenced recent investigations showing how easily underage Nigerians are able to purchase these products, despite laws restricting sales to individuals aged 18 and older.
Anetor encouraged citizens to sign the online petition titled “Keep Vapes Away from Nigerian Kids,” which has continued to gain support.
World No Tobacco Day 2025, themed “Unmasking the Appeal,” highlights how tobacco and nicotine industries target youth through attractive product designs, flavours and marketing that obscure the dangers of addiction. While six million adolescents were using tobacco in the Western Pacific Region as of 2022, only a few countries have enforced comprehensive bans on advertising or flavours. However, momentum for reform is growing, with more nations adopting plain packaging laws and banning e-cigarettes.
The World Health Organisation urges governments to ban flavours, regulate packaging, restrict advertising, raise taxes and provide support for quitting to protect future generations.
