A research found that the Nigerian health system spends over N500 billion yearly to treat illnesses caused by smoking and passive smoking. Sam (surname withheld), a second-year National Diploma student at the Yaba College of Technology in Lagos, says he stopped reading in the school due to exposure to indiscriminate smoking. The 21-year-old has never seen a ‘No-smoking’...
An anti-tobacco group, ‘The Nigeria Tobacco Control Alliance, NTCA and the Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) have jointly written to the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to sanction the Big Brother Naija show. The BBNaija show which has entered season 6 show ‘Shine Ya Eyes’, was accused of flouting the government’s directive on smoking. The...
The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) is working on modalities of disbursing a US$60 million tobacco facility this year after the Government decided to start funding production of the crop using local money. The Tobacco Production Localisation Revolving Fund is meant to support growers during the forthcoming season with a yield potential of 60 million...
Uganda’s formal tobacco Industry continues to be impacted by a growing trade in illicit products, attributed to government policies which are otherwise aimed at protecting the industry. These include the implementation of anti-smoking regulations as well as the tax measures that are largely aimed at making cigarettes too expensive and reduce it’s demand. The largest...
British American Tobacco (BAT) Kenya is seeking new exports markets to compensate for lower consumption of cigarettes in Kenya. The firm is targeting Djibouti, Madagascar and South Sudan with cigarettes, cut rag tobacco and tobacco-free oral nicotine pouches, Lyft. Sales from the Kenyan market dropped 13.8 percent to Sh11.6 billion last year on reduced consumption cigarettes...
The Vision for Alternative Development (VALD)/Tax Advocacy Network for Health Promotion has held a national stakeholders meeting on tobacco taxation to help reduce tobacco consumption in Ghana. The non-governmental organization is undertaking a tobacco taxation project in the country under the auspices of the Tax Justice Network Africa (TJNA), with support from Bill and Melinda...
The International Institute of Legislative Affairs (ILA) has poked holes into the Finance Act 2021, saying some changes in the law will favour tobacco businesses. The Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) whose work is in policy and research argues that while the government is mandated to make laws that discourage tobacco intake, some aspects of the Act...
The tobacco industry likes to portray itself as a positive economic force. Yet tobacco farmers across Africa face a harsh economic reality: The industry derives such huge profits in part because it maneuvers to pay as little as possible for the crop that is the basis for its products. This practice is unfair and perpetuates inequality. What’s...
Botswana’s renowned anti-tobacco activist Alice Mbongwe has received special recognition from World Health Organization (WHO) for her advocacy on tobacco control. Mbongwe is an employee of University of Botswana (UB) and also director of the Anti-Tobacco Network (ATN). Josephine Namboze, WHO executive director for Botswana on Tuesday said Mbongwe is one of six African awardees this...
Chibuike Nwokorie is the Project Officer with the Nigeria Tobacco Control Alliance, NTCA. In this interview, he bares his mind on the new policy on Pictorial Health Warnings, PHWs, which must be on all tobacco products manufactured and sold in Nigeria starting June 23, and other sundry issues on tobacco control in Nigeria. Excerpts: How do...
