CSOs hail Nigeria’s leadership at COP11, demand stronger domestic tobacco control measures

By Johnson Arua

Civil Society Organisations, CSOs, working in tobacco control have commended the Minister of State for Health, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, and the Nigerian delegation for what they described as “outstanding leadership” at the 11th Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP11) to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO-FCTC) in Geneva.

In a joint statement issued on Sunday, the groups urged the Federal Government to ensure that the strong stance demonstrated at the global level is translated into decisive domestic action to protect Nigerians from the harmful influence of the tobacco industry.

The statement was signed by Corporate Accountability & Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), the Nigeria Tobacco Control Alliance (NTCA), the Centre for Youth Inclusion & Development (CYID), and the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC).

Nigeria Applauded for Standing Up to Industry Pressure

The organisations praised the Nigerian delegation for firmly resisting attempts by the tobacco industry and its allies to influence negotiations, maintaining unwavering support for public health throughout the conference.

COP11, held from 17 to 22 November, brought together more than 1,400 delegates from 162 Parties to the WHO-FCTC, including governments, international organisations, and civil society. The high-level meeting reviewed two decades of implementation of the global treaty and considered fresh strategies for accelerating progress.

The groups noted that Nigeria delivered strong interventions in favour of robust regulation of emerging tobacco and nicotine products, as well as other priority measures aimed at safeguarding public health.

Dr. Salako, who presented Nigeria’s high-level statement at the conference, highlighted new national data and ongoing enforcement actions to demonstrate the country’s commitment to the WHO-FCTC and the protection of citizens’ health.

“Despite persistent overtures and pressure from the tobacco industry and its allies, Nigeria stood firmly on the side of public health diplomacy, making timely, principled, and decisive interventions on critical issues,” the CSOs said.

Nigeria’s Role in Strengthening the African Bloc

The organisations also commended Nigeria’s leadership within the African Group during negotiations, noting that the country’s interventions helped break deadlocks, stabilise discussions, and reinforce the continent’s collective position.

“As a recognised leader within the African region, Nigeria’s principled voice was relied upon at crucial moments. Our delegation’s performance reaffirmed the country’s reputation as a nation committed to the highest standards of public health protection,” the statement added.

They further praised the role of Nigerian civil society groups and health experts present at COP11, including Dr. Omotayo Francis Fagbule of the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, describing their contributions as evidence of the “whole-of-society strength driving tobacco control in Nigeria.”

Call for Action at Home

Despite the global accolades, the CSOs cautioned that Nigeria must urgently replicate its performance domestically, especially as the country slipped further in the latest global ranking on tobacco industry interference.

“After being a strong and reliable voice for public health in Geneva, the real work begins at home,” they said. “The commitments we defended abroad must be matched with concrete actions within our borders.”

They urged the government to strengthen enforcement, accelerate regulatory processes, ensure complete protection of public health policies from tobacco industry influence, and provide predictable and transparent funding for the full implementation of the National Tobacco Control Act (NTC Act) and its Regulations.

“Without sufficient and accountable funding, the NTC Act risks remaining largely symbolic,” the organisations warned.

The CSOs maintained that Nigeria has demonstrated what principled leadership looks like on the global stage and must now consolidate that leadership through consistent action to protect citizens, particularly young people, from the harms of tobacco.