A civil society organisation known as Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) has raised concerns over Nigeria’s newly approved 2026 Fiscal Policy Measures, describing the country’s revised tobacco tax framework as “inadequate for public health protection and inconsistent with regional and global health commitments.”
According to a press release Friday by the Executive Director, CISLAC, Auwal Ibrahim Musa Rafsanjani, the federal government’s fiscal policy circular, which takes effect from April 1, 2026, introduces revised excise duties on tobacco products, non-alcoholic beverages, and a Green Tax Surcharge.
The statement disclosed that the tobacco tax structure establishes a three-year regime (2026-2028), maintaining a 30% ad-valorem excise duty while adding only minimal annual specific tax increments of N1.00.
CISLAC, a leading policy advocacy group, argued that the adjustments were insufficient to reduce tobacco consumption 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 cigarette stick taxes increased marginally from previous levels, inflation – currently above 15% – has outpaced the tax adjustments, making tobacco products relatively more affordable.
The organisation also highlighted that Nigeria remains significantly below the West African regional benchmark recommended by the ECOWAS, which advocates a specific excise tax equivalent to about 0.40 USD per pack of cigarettes.
The group therefore urged the government to urgently Align tobacco taxes with the ECOWAS minimum benchmark, warning that failure to strengthen tobacco taxation would deepen health risks, worsen inequality, and undermine Nigeria’s international public health obligations under WHO FCTC.
