By Abdullahi Alhassan, Kaduna
In a decisive step toward strengthening Nigeria’s tobacco control measures, key stakeholders from government ministries, academia, civil society organisations, and international partners convened in Abuja to validate the Tobacco Excise Tax Simulation (TETSiM) report—an evidence-based tool designed to guide the country’s tobacco tax reforms.
The workshop comes as Nigeria prepares to revise its tobacco tax regime, which lapsed in May 2025, with a dual focus on protecting public health and boosting government revenue in line with regional and global standards.
Executive Director of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, described the initiative as a landmark partnership involving CISLAC, the Tax Justice Network Africa (TJNA), and the University of Cape Town (UCT).
“While Nigeria is not yet where it should be, measurable progress has been made,” Rafsanjani noted. “With stronger policies, Nigeria can meet regional and global benchmarks for tobacco taxation.”
He highlighted the critical role of excise taxes in reducing tobacco affordability, particularly among young people, while simultaneously improving health outcomes and generating revenue.
Citing Article 6 of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), Rafsanjani stressed that taxation remains the most cost-effective tool for curbing tobacco use.
He, however, lamented that Nigeria’s tax rates are still among the lowest in West Africa, making the country vulnerable as a dumping ground for cheap tobacco products.
Representing the Federal Ministry of Finance, Sarah Bwala reaffirmed government’s commitment to revising the excisable goods regime in line with ECOWAS directives.
“This validation workshop comes at a critical time,” she said. “Nigeria currently has the lowest excise rates in the region. Aligning with harmonised standards will not only increase revenue but also reduce tobacco-related health risks.”
She commended CISLAC for spearheading advocacy efforts and emphasised that effective policy implementation requires active civil society participation.
Providing international research expertise, Prof. Corne Walbeek, Director of the Research Unit on the Economics of Excisable Products (REEP) at UCT, underscored tobacco’s devastating toll, killing about eight million people globally each year.
Walbeek described Nigeria’s current excise regime, 30 percent of ex-works value plus ₦104 per pack, as “grossly insufficient” compared to ECOWAS benchmarks, which require at least a 50 percent excise plus a specific tax of 40 US cents per pack.
He explained that the TETSiM model projects the impact of different tax policy scenarios on cigarette prices, consumption, revenue, and public health.
“This is not a punitive ‘sin tax’ but a health tax designed to save lives,” Walbeek stressed. “Higher excise taxes discourage smoking, prevent initiation among young people, and reduce the deadly burden of tobacco.”
Also speaking, John Thomi, Policy Officer at TJNA, dismissed the tobacco industry’s claims that higher taxes would trigger job losses.
“Research proves the opposite,” he said. “When tobacco consumption declines, spending shifts to other sectors of the economy, sustaining jobs elsewhere. There is no evidence of job losses due to higher tobacco taxes, but there is overwhelming evidence that tobacco kills.”
The validation of the TETSiM report is expected to provide policymakers with clear, evidence-based options as Nigeria finalises its new tobacco tax policy, balancing revenue generation with the urgent need to protect public health.
