Weak Tobacco Tax Regime Sparks Health Concerns As CISLAC Warns FG Of Industry Favouritism
As Nigeria keeps battling rising healthcare costs and preventable diseases, concerns are mounting that the country’s new tobacco tax regime may be doing more to protect tobacco companies’ profits than public health.
The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) has criticised the Federal Government’s 2026 Fiscal Policy Measures, describing the approved excise duty on cigarettes and tobacco products as weak, ineffective and a major setback for public health.
Under the new policy, which took effect from 1 April 2026, the government retained the 30 per cent ad-valorem excise tax on tobacco products while approving only a minimal annual increase of N1 on the specific excise component from 2026 to 2028.
CISLAC’s Executive Director, Auwal Ibrahim Musa (Rafsanjani), said the regime falls far below both national expectations and regional standards, warning that it makes tobacco products more affordable rather than reducing consumption.
He noted that while inflation continues to rise, the tax increase remains insignificant, arguing that Nigeria is still far below the ECOWAS-recommended benchmark of 0.40 USD specific excise tax per pack of cigarettes.
According to him, even by 2028, Nigeria would only achieve about 29.7 per cent of the regional recommendation, despite being the largest tobacco market in West Africa.
CISLAC also accused the government of contradicting its own fiscal reform promises and President Bola Tinubu’s manifesto commitment to use health taxes to fund universal healthcare and discourage harmful consumption.
The organisation urged the government to urgently redesign the tobacco tax regime in line with Article 6 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, adopt stronger excise taxes adjusted for inflation, and shield policy decisions from tobacco industry influence.
It warned that failure to strengthen tobacco taxation would deepen inequality, increase addiction among young people, and worsen preventable diseases and deaths across the country.
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