JamzNG Latest News, Gist, Entertainment in Nigeria
A civil society organization known as the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Center (CISLAC) has expressed concern over Nigeria’s recently approved 2026 fiscal policy measures, describing the country’s revised tobacco tax framework as “inadequate for the protection of public health and inconsistent with regional and global health commitments.”
According to a press release on Friday by CISLAC Executive Director Auwal Ibrahim Musa Rafsanjani, the federal government’s tax policy circular, which will come into force from April 1, 2026, introduces revised excise duties on tobacco products, soft drinks and a surcharge on the green tax.
The statement revealed that the tobacco tax structure establishes a three-year regime (2026-2028), maintaining an ad valori excise duty of 30% while adding only minimum annual specific tax increments of N1.00.
CISLAC, a prominent policy advocacy group, argued that the adjustments were insufficient to reduce tobacco use or align with Nigeria’s obligations under the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC).
According to CISLAC, the proposed increases fail to match Nigeria’s inflation rate, effectively weakening the impact of tobacco taxation as a deterrent.
The group noted that while taxes on cigarette sticks have increased marginally from previous levels, inflation – currently above 15% – has outpaced tax adjustments, making tobacco products relatively more affordable.
The organization also highlighted that Nigeria remains significantly below the West African regional reference level recommended by ECOWAS, which supports a specific excise duty equivalent to approximately $0.40 per pack of cigarettes.
The group therefore urged government to urgently align tobacco taxes with the ECOWAS minimum benchmark, warning that failure to strengthen tobacco taxation would exacerbate health risks, worsen inequality and undermine Nigeria’s international public health obligations under the WHO FCTC.
