The Federal Ministry of Health, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre and other partners has canvassed for hike in tobacco taxation as a way to generate revenue for health sector financing and save many citizens dying annually.
The partners, who made the call in Abuja at the launch of ‘Research Report on Tobacco Taxation and Health Financing in Nigeria’, said the measure would help in raising funds to finance development.
Executive Director, CISLAC Auwal Rafsanjani said the act would also present Nigeria with a win-win situation in terms of reducing affordability of tobacco products and increasing revenue for development funding. He pointed out that the harmful effect of tobacco use had motivated countries, including Nigeria, to implement control measures to tackle tobacco consumption and affordability.
Rafsanjani said the World Health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, WHO-FCTC identified tobacco taxation as an effective tool for tobacco control.
National Coordinator, Non Communicable Diseases, Public Health Authority, Ministry of Health Dolapo Sanni identified tobacco epidemic as one of the biggest public health threats that the world had ever faced.
