Ekiti State, CAPPA join forces to combat tobacco, nicotine addiction among youths

The Ekiti State Government has entered into a partnership with the Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa to strengthen tobacco control advocacy and address the rising use of tobacco and nicotine products among residents, particularly young people.

The collaboration was announced at a stakeholders’ engagement in Ado Ekiti on Thursday, held to mark the 2026 World No Tobacco Day under the theme “Unmasking the Appeal: Countering Nicotine and Tobacco Addiction.”

Speaking at the event, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health and Human Services, Sola Gbenga-Igotun, expressed deep concern over the growing exposure of children and adolescents to tobacco and new nicotine products. She described the trend as a serious public health threat and called on all stakeholders to become active advocates against it.

She warned that many nicotine products are odourless, making them difficult for parents to detect, and revealed that children as young as seven, eight, and nine years old have already become victims.

The Director of Public Health in the ministry, Dr Abayomi Ibrahim, disclosed that the state plans to review its tobacco control framework to address emerging products such as shisha and e-cigarettes. He noted milestones including the 2012 Smoke-Free Law prohibiting smoking in public places and the 2025 Ado Ekiti Declaration designating the state capital a smoke-free city.

However, he identified weak enforcement, insufficient funding, growing youth attraction to nicotine products, tobacco industry interference, and limited data as major challenges. He called for training of enforcement officers, dedicated funding, school-based awareness campaigns, and deeper community engagement involving traditional and religious leaders.

Speaking for CAPPA, Assistant Executive Director Zikora Ibeh commended Ekiti for maintaining its smoke-free status. He warned that tobacco companies are increasingly targeting young people through aggressive marketing of vapes, nicotine pouches, and other alternative products, often packaged in colourful designs and sweet flavours.

He urged authorities to strengthen regulations governing emerging nicotine products to protect young people from addiction.

The Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, represented by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, stressed the need for collective action, stating that smoking is harmful and should not be encouraged.

The event drew participants from the Christian Association of Nigeria, the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, security agencies, environmental health officers, and local government officials.