News

Tobacco Control Act: CAPPA calls for digital marketing regulations

Published

2 years ago

November 27, 2024

Mariam Sanni

A Civil Society Organization, CSO , known as Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa( CAPPA), has called for explicit provisions to regulate digital marketing comprehensively.

The Senior Programme Manager, Policy and Research, CAPPA , Zikora Ibeh while briefing pressmen in a media briefing held in Abuja, explained that there should be penalties for platform and third – party vendors facilitating the promotion or sale of new and emerging tobacco products online .

She noted that the organization acknowledges the recent efforts to review the National Tobbaco Control Act, 2015.

Ibeh maintained that any review must uphold the protection of public health, strengthen regulatory oversight, and decisively close the gaps that allow the tobacco industry to continue exploiting vulnerable populations in Nigeria .

It could be recalled a public hearing was held last week at the House of Representatives to discuss two proposed Bills aimed at amending the National Tobacco Control Act(NTCA) 2015, titled “House Bill(HB) 47 and HB 1151.

According to her, HB 1151, which seeks to impose stiffer penalties for violations of smoking regulations, suffers from a fundamental flaw in misrepresenting the titles of the Principal Act and the referenced Sections for amendments.

She added that the HB 47, which aims to cure certain defects in the NTCA 2015, ensure its effective implementation, as well as address the lacuna that May exploited by the tobacco industry in Nigeria .

She stated the CSO have recommended its intent but highlighted some gaps and areas that requires strengthening.

“ The increase influence of digital platforms in promoting emerging products poses a high threat to public health, particularly as these channels such as Instragram, Twitter and Facebook, amongst another’s, often bypass traditional restrictions and target minors.

“ CAPPA calls for explicit provisions to regulate digital marketing comprehensively , with penalties for platforms and third-party vendors facilitating the promotion of sale of new and emerging tobacco products online.

“We urged the Nigerian Government and public health authorities to rigorously enforce Section 18 of the National Tobacco Control Act, ensuring that all interactions with the tobacco industry are transparent and strictly regulatory,” she stated.

Ibeh charged the federal government to strengthen the role of the ministry of health and social welfare as the leading body to coordinate Tobacco Control Efforts and Maintaining Oversight.

Furthermore, the Executive Director of CAPPA, Akinbode Oluwafemi, in his welcome address at the press briefing stressed the need to reinforce Nigeria’s tobacco control framework cannot be overstated.

He noted that young Nigerians are increasingly being initiated into consuming these emerging tobacco and nicotine products disguised as modern and trendy altern

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Politics

APC Alleges Atiku, ADC Plot to Undermine Kaduna Campaign Flag-Off

Published

5 hours ago

October 24, 2026

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

The All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council has accused former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and the African Democratic Congress (ADC) of allegedly orchestrating a disinformation campaign to discredit the party’s presidential campaign flag-off in Kaduna on Saturday.

In a statement issued on Saturday, October 24, 2026, the council’s spokesperson, Dele Alake, alleged that the former vice president and the ADC planned to circulate fake news, manipulated documents and doctored videos to undermine the campaign, President Bola Tinubu, Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani and other APC leaders.
Alake claimed that the alleged disinformation campaign involved the use of artificial intelligence, deepfake videos, counterfeit documents and social media platforms to manipulate public opinion.
According to him, the alleged plot had already begun with the circulation of a photograph showing a security vehicle on routine patrol near an APC campaign billboard in Kaduna metropolis.

He alleged that the image was misrepresented to suggest that security personnel had been deployed to protect APC billboards, adding that the narrative was subsequently published by a national newspaper and shared by Atiku on his official social media accounts.

The APC spokesperson further alleged that another document had been circulated online, purportedly showing a letter from Governor Uba Sani to the Director-General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, Senator Abdulaziz Yari, concerning an alleged release of ₦2.3 trillion by the Kaduna State Government to host the rally.

Describing the claim as baseless, Alake questioned the possibility of a state government spending such an amount on a political rally.

He noted that Kaduna State’s budgets for 2024, 2025 and 2026 stood at ₦458.271 billion, ₦790.439 billion and ₦985.9 billion, respectively.

According to him, the combined budgets for the three years amounted to less than ₦2.3 trillion, which he cited as evidence to challenge the claim circulating online.

Alake also alleged that the ADC and Atiku’s supporters were preparing to circulate old, manipulated and deepfake videos during the rally to create the impression of public resentment against the APC.

The council urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and verify information before sharing it, warning against the spread of misleading content on social media and other platforms.It further accused Atiku and the ADC of resorting to what it described as desperate tactics to gain political advantage ahead of future electoral contests.

The allegations were contained in a statement signed by Alake on behalf of the APC Presidential Campaign Council on Saturday.Atiku Abubakar and the ADC’s response to the allegations was not included in the statement.

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