Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has urged Nigerian authorities, media organisations and cultural stakeholders to prevent festivals and public events from becoming platforms that normalize tobacco use, warning that culture should never be used as a vehicle for promoting addiction and disease.
The call came as the public health advocacy group marked World No Tobacco Day 2026, themed "Unmasking the Appeal: Countering Nicotine and Tobacco Addiction."
Speaking at a press conference in Lagos, CAPPA Executive Director Akinbode Oluwafemi said tobacco companies are increasingly relying on culture, lifestyle branding, social media and celebrity influence to make nicotine products attractive, especially to young people.
"We must state clearly that our culture should never be appropriated as a vehicle for promoting addiction and disease," Oluwafemi said. "No cultural event should become an opportunity—whether directly or indirectly—for tobacco interests to market harmful products, normalise smoking or influence young people."
CAPPA expressed concern over the growing visibility of cigar smoking at high-profile cultural events, particularly the annual Ojude Oba Festival in Ogun State, where images of prominent attendees smoking cigars have gained widespread attention on social media.
While acknowledging the festival's cultural significance, the organisation warned that repeated exposure to such imagery risks linking tobacco use with prestige, wealth and social success.
"In recent years, images of cigar smoking at cultural celebrations have been widely shared and celebrated online," Oluwafemi said. "When smoking is portrayed as a symbol of status, young people are more likely to see aspiration before they see the health risks."
According to CAPPA, the trend threatens to undermine years of tobacco-control efforts by presenting tobacco products as fashionable lifestyle accessories rather than products associated with addiction and disease.
The organisation also warned that tobacco companies are increasingly marketing newer nicotine products—including vapes, nicotine pouches and heated tobacco products—as safer alternatives to traditional cigarettes.
CAPPA cited findings from its recent report, New Smoke Trap: New and Emerging Nicotine and Tobacco Products, Youth Exposure and Policy Gaps in Nigeria, which documented 781 nicotine- and tobacco-related products across Lagos, Enugu and the Federal Capital Territory. Of those, 573 were classified as new and emerging nicotine products.
The group said many of the products are sold in colourful packaging, sweet flavours such as mango, strawberry and bubble gum, and designs that resemble everyday consumer items, making them particularly appealing to young people.
"The industry has changed its products, packaging and language, but its objective remains the same—to profit from addiction," Oluwafemi said.
CAPPA urged the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), the National Broadcasting Commission and other regulators to strengthen enforcement of existing tobacco-control laws.
The group called for stricter controls on advertising, digital promotion and youth access to nicotine products, as well as a ban on flavoured nicotine products that attract younger users.
It also urged authorities to enforce laws prohibiting public smoking in cultural, entertainment and hospitality spaces.
"Taxation is important, but it cannot solve the problem alone," Oluwafemi said. "A product can be taxed and still become fashionable, socially admired and culturally normalised."
At the event, public health physician Dr. Goke Akinrogunde warned that nicotine addiction remains a major health challenge in Nigeria despite declining cigarette consumption.
He said tobacco and nicotine use contribute to lung disease, cancer, heart conditions and pregnancy-related complications, while new nicotine products are creating fresh pathways to addiction among young people.
"Nicotine addiction is now recognised as a disease condition that requires treatment and long-term support," Fasawe said. "The industry continues to develop new ways of attracting users, especially young people."
CAPPA said Nigeria must act decisively to reduce the appeal of nicotine and tobacco products and prevent the tobacco industry from embedding its products within cultural identity and popular entertainment.
"As Nigeria marks World No Tobacco Day 2026, protecting culture must also mean protecting public health," the organisation said. "Cultural festivals should celebrate heritage and community—not serve as advertising grounds for products that cause addiction, illness and death."
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