Tobacco Usage Hampering Nigeria’s SDGs Attainment – NTCA

• Ongoing tobacco use in Nigeria is hindering the achievement of key Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including health and well-being
• The allocation to tobacco control in Nigeria has decreased by 50% in 2023, impacting tobacco control efforts in the country

According to the Nigeria Tobacco Control Alliance (NTCA), ongoing tobacco use and abuse in Nigeria is undermining efforts to achieve some key aspects of the country’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

At a briefing on ‘Effective Tobacco Control Funding in Nigeria’ yesterday in Abuja, NTCA Chairman Akinbode Oluwafemi stated that tobacco use has continued to impede the achievement of the SDGs, particularly Goal 3 on health and well-being.

Goal 11 on sustainable cities and communities, Goal 12 on responsible consumption and production, Goal 14 on life below water, and Goal 15 on life on land are all negatively impacted, according to him.

He regretted that allocation to tobacco control had plunged by 50 percent to N4.7m in 2023, from N9.4m of the previous year, thereby slowing down tobacco control activities in the country.

“Nigeria adopted the SDGs and integrated them into her development framework since the launch of the SDGs in 2015. While optimistic analysts may argue that some progress has been made towards the attainment of the goals, it is undeniable that we are still a long way from hitting the mark,” Oluwafemi said.

He recalled that during the recently concluded 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, USA, it was evident that only 15 percent of the SDGs are on track to meet the target, necessitating calls for cash and commitments from member nations to rescue the stalled development goals.

He said that persistent advocacies have been made for the allocation to the health sector to reach the recommended 15 percent to address critical deficits.

He said that NTCA expects that as National Assembly members resume deliberations on the 2024 Appropriation Bill, they would pay close attention to the proposed budget for Tobacco Control, and significantly increase the amount to deal with myriad issues occasioned by tobacco use.