Abuja, 17 July,2014 - The Chairman, House Committee on health, Honourable   Ndudi Elumelu has explained at the public hearing on the National Tobacco Control Bill (NTCB) held  on 16th July 2014, that the bill is not meant to stop tobacco trade but ensure that the tobacco industry operates within the law of the country.

Honourable Elumelu was reacting to the concerns raised on some clauses in the bill by the tobacco industries during which they claimed that a stringent bill cannot be effectively implemented. They further posited  that having harsh measures to reduce tobacco supply and demand will lead to illicit trade and smuggling of tobacco products into the country.

The National Tobacco Control Bill (NTCB) aims to protect the public from the devastating health, social and economic consequences of tobacco use. It will also serve as a legal backing for the implementation of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) to which Nigeria is a party.

The public hearing took place at the National Assembly and was attended by Legislators (House committee on health and House committee on Justice), the Minister of Health, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Director of Public Health, National NCDs Coordinator and other staff of the NCDs Division of the Federal Ministry of Health, , WHO, NGOs, CSOs, professional bodies, tobacco farmers and the general public.

The bill which has passed the first and second reading at the House of Representative will undergo the third reading after which it will be sent to the Senate for concurrence. This is a major stride in the effort towards enacting a Tobacco Control Legislation for Nigeria and contributes to the reduction of the burden of non-communicable diseases in the country.

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Charity Warigon | Communication Officer,
Email:  warigonc [at] who.int