Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has written to the National Assembly seeking detailed legislative records on the National Tobacco Control Act (Amendment) Bill, 2025, amid concerns that some proposed changes could weaken Nigeria’s tobacco-control protections.
The organisation’s Freedom of Information (FOI) request signed by Robert Egbe, the Media and Communications Officer, CAPPA, dated August 13 and addressed to the Clerk of the Senate, seeks to clarify how controversial provisions made their way into the current consolidated version of the Bill.
CAPPA said the request is aimed at establishing the Bill’s legislative history and promoting transparency and accountability in the lawmaking process.
CAPPA Seeks Records of Bill’s Passage
In the letter, CAPPA requested certified copies of the Senate and House of Representatives Votes and Proceedings covering every stage of the Bill’s consideration.
The organisation also asked for records showing the dates of the Bill’s first and second readings, committee referral, consideration of committee reports, third reading and passage.
Other information requested includes the names and constituencies of sponsors and co-sponsors, records of divisions or recorded votes, committee reports, details of public hearings and stakeholder submissions, as well as the Bill’s current status, including whether it has been sent to the President for assent.
CAPPA invoked Sections 1(1), 2(3)(f) and 4 of the Freedom of Information Act, 2011, and asked the National Assembly to provide the requested information within the statutory seven-day period.
Concerns Over Controversial Provisions
The move follows concerns raised by the Nigeria Tobacco Control Community, a coalition of more than 100 civil society organisations, public health advocates and tobacco-control stakeholders.
At a press briefing in Abuja on August 9, the coalition opposed the proposed amendments, arguing that some provisions in the consolidated Bill could weaken safeguards contained in the National Tobacco Control Act 2015 and create openings for tobacco and nicotine companies.
Among the provisions under scrutiny are proposed changes relating to non-combustible nicotine products, advertising and promotion, online sales, point-of-sale promotion, product sampling, packaging and penalties.
The coalition has also questioned the legislative history of some of the provisions, saying they were not contained in versions of the Bill presented during a public hearing on November 22, 2024.
It wants clarification on how the disputed provisions entered the consolidated Bill and who introduced them.
‘This Request Is Made in the Interest of Public Health’
“This request is made in the interest of promoting public health, accountability, and transparency,” CAPPA stated in its letter to the Clerk of the Senate.
The organisation said the records would help establish the legislative process behind the Bill and provide answers to questions raised by public health stakeholders.
The tobacco-control community has particularly raised concerns over provisions it believes could permit certain forms of promotion of non-combustible nicotine products through adult publications, point-of-sale materials and online platforms, as well as sponsorship of cultural, social and recreational events.
It has also questioned proposed changes concerning online sales, product sampling and the classification of heated tobacco products.
Coalition Wants Fresh Review of Bill
The coalition argued that any effort to update Nigeria’s tobacco-control laws to address emerging nicotine products should strengthen existing public health protections rather than weaken them.
It also warned that Nigeria’s large youth population and the rapid spread of digital content could expose young people to tobacco and nicotine marketing, even where proposed exemptions are presented as being intended for adults.
The group has therefore pressed for the immediate recall of the consolidated Bill and a fresh review led by public health considerations.
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