NTCA Seeks Immediate Passage of Nigeria Tobacco Control Bill Into Law

Source from:  The Daily Mail 05/28/2014

The Nigeria Tobacco Control Alliance (NTCA) has urged the National Assembly to expedite action on the repackaged Nigeria Tobacco Control Bill which the Federal Executive Council (FEC) has translated to it few weeks ago for consideration and passage.

The tobacco control advocate, made this known in press briefing held recently in Lagos at the Environmental Rights Action /Friends of the Earth, (ERA/FoEN) office during the launching and presentation of Tobacco Industry Report.

It would be recalled that the FEC, chaired by President Goodluck Jonathan last month gave its nod for the repackaged tobacco control bill which gives a force to efforts by anti-tobacco groups to press on with advocacy.

The Monitoring Report according to the Interim Chair, NTCA, Mr Lanre Oginni, is to monitor and report on tobacco industry Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and other activities aimed at thwarting legislative efforts towards passage of the Nigeria Tobacco Control Bill (NTCB).

Oginni said, the monitoring activities were carried out in Abuja, Lagos and Ilorin, the Kwara State capital and data collection were based an observatory model.

"Our investigators conducted personalized interviews and took pictures where there has been non compliance either to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) or the applicable local law regarding advertising and marketing of tobacco products and other activities.

"It was established that the existing ban on outdoor or billboard advertising subject to the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON) directive of 2004 has been largely conformed to by the tobacco industry. In the three cities monitored, there was strict compliance with the regulations on outdoor advertising."

The NTCA Interim Chair, noted that, in all the cities monitored, the ban on Point of Sale (POS) advertising has been largely ignored by British American Tobacco Nigeria (BATN) and other tobacco entities.

"Most of the open markets, stores and supermarkets still advertise tobacco products and some even expose cigarette shelves to young people and underage persons.

"There is deluge of umbrellas, posters, no-smoking signs with bold BATN logos, branded kiosks and other means of outdoor advertising. We have the pictures of such breaches in Lagos, Abuja and Ilorin. Since 2001, BATN has tried to influence tobacco control policies in Nigeria," he said.

NTCA said during the investigation, it was established that many government agencies, which may play a part in the implementation of the tobacco bill are still hobnobbing with the tobacco industry.

"The tobacco industry has exploited its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to weaken government's resolve for effective tobacco legislation. BATN for instance, has used a yearly Famers Productivity Award to deceive top government officials who are compelled to praise the company.

"It is of concern to us that officials of the Ministry of Agriculture especially in Oyo State continue to openly praise BATN at the company's annual Farmer Productivity Awards, in contravention of Article 5.3 of the FCTC which denormalises engagements between the tobacco industry and public officials. The company has expanded its so-called CSR to communities in Ogun, Ekiti and even Akwa Ibom. But the company is not stopping there.

"It continues to support and fund an endowment of "Industry reporter" of the year at the annual Nigeria Media Merits Award (NMMA) including the last one held here in Lagos December 2013.
"We observed that Nigerian government officials still lack the required understanding on the methods used by the tobacco industry to influence government policies and legislations."

Oginni however said, "it is apparent especially from the revelations contained in this Tobacco Industry Report that the passage of the National Tobacco Control Bill is the way to go for effective tobacco control legislation in Nigeria. However, Nigeria will not make any appreciable progress towards the eradication of the tobacco epidemic and reduction of addition without the signing into law, the tobacco control bill."

NTCA is a network of over 70 community-based, civil society, public health experts and professional groups concerned about cancer and tobacco-related illnesses and legislation. Enditem