CAPPA seeks legislative records on tobacco control Amendment Bill

By Onu Okorie

Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has filed a Freedom of Information (FOI) request with the National Assembly seeking comprehensive legislative records on the National Tobacco Control Act (Amendment) Bill, 2025.
The request, dated August 13 and addressed to the Clerk of the Senate, followed concerns raised by the Nigeria Tobacco Control Community, a coalition of more than 100 civil society organisations, public-health advocates and tobacco-control stakeholders, over proposed amendments it says could weaken Nigeria’s tobacco-control framework.
CAPPA said the request is intended to establish the legislative history of the Bill, promote transparency in the lawmaking process and clarify how provisions considered harmful to public health became part of the current consolidated text.
The organisation requested certified copies of the Senate and House of Representatives Votes and Proceedings covering every stage of the Bill’s consideration, including first and second readings, committee referral, consideration of committee reports, third reading and passage.
It also asked for the dates of each legislative stage; names and constituencies of sponsors and co-sponsors; records of divisions or recorded votes; relevant committee reports; details of public hearings and stakeholder submissions; and the Bill’s current status, including whether it has been transmitted to the President for assent.
CAPPA invoked Sections 1(1), 2(3)(f) and 4 of the Freedom of Information Act, 2011, and requested that the National Assembly provide the information within the statutory seven-day period. It said the records could be supplied electronically or as certified physical copies where applicable.
The development comes days after the Nigeria Tobacco Control Community, at a press briefing in Abuja on August 9, rejected the proposed amendments and called for the immediate recall of the consolidated Bill.
The coalition alleged that some of the provisions in the consolidated version were not contained in the versions presented during a public hearing on November 22, 2024. It consequently called for clarification on how the disputed provisions entered the Bill.
Among the provisions criticised by the tobacco-control groups are proposed changes relating to non-combustible nicotine products, advertising and promotion, online sales, point-of-sale promotion, product sampling, packaging and penalties.
The groups also raised concerns about provisions they said could permit forms of promotion of non-combustible nicotine products through adult publications, point-of-sale materials and online platforms, as well as sponsorship of cultural, social and recreational events.
They further questioned proposed changes concerning online sales, product sampling and the classification of heated tobacco products.
According to the coalition, exemptions ostensibly intended for adults could still expose young people to tobacco and nicotine marketing, particularly given Nigeria’s large youth population and the rapid spread of digital content.
The tobacco-control community has also questioned who introduced the provisions it considers concessions to tobacco and nicotine interests and which public-health institutions reviewed them.
CAPPA said its FOI request was made “in the interest of promoting public health, accountability, and transparency,” adding that it specifically seeks to uncover the legislative history of the National Tobacco Control Act (Amendment) Bill, 2025.
The coalition maintains that any effort to update Nigeria’s tobacco-control laws to address emerging nicotine products should strengthen existing protections under the National Tobacco Control Act 2015 rather than create regulatory openings that could increase exposure to tobacco and nicotine products.
It has therefore called for the immediate recall of the consolidated Bill and a fresh, transparent review led by public-health considerations.