The Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has called on the Federal Government to fully regulate all nicotine products to curb addiction and safeguard public health.

Oluwafemi Akinbode, Executive Director of CAPPA,stated at a news briefing on Thursday in Lagos that heated tobacco products should be regulated like regular tobacco products, as they contain tobacco sticks, aligning with global guidelines.

CAPPA shared findings from its latest report titled, “New Smoke Trap: New and Emerging Nicotine and Tobacco Products, Youth Exposure and Policy Gaps in Nigeria”.

The study examines the rapid expansion of new-generation nicotine and tobacco products across Nigeria.

It also interrogates the regulatory and public health implications of that expansion at a time when the country’s demographic profile makes it uniquely vulnerable to industry manipulation.

The products under examination include e-cigarettes commonly known as vapes, nicotine pouches, and heated tobacco products, all of which are now highly visible in supermarkets, embedded in nightlife environments.

The report emphasises that these products aggressively promoted across digital platforms are disproportionately accessed by young people, thereby normalising nicotine consumption within everyday youth culture.

Consequently, Akinbode recommended that emerging nicotine products be integrated into the excise tax framework to prevent price differentials from driving youth experimentation.

Akinbode said the research identified 781 nicotine and tobacco products, 573 of which were new and emerging nicotine and tobacco products (NENTPs).

He disclosed that e-cigarettes made up 522 of these, showing how deeply they have penetrated the market.

Akinbode noted that nicotine pouches, though not widely available in stores, are gaining traction online, while heated tobacco products, still a small market, are being positioned for future growth.

He said this rise exposes a regulatory loophole, explaining that Nigeria’s tobacco control laws are outdated, focusing on traditional tobacco products and leaving newer nicotine delivery systems unregulated.

“Many of these products are marketed as “tobacco-free”, with synthetic nicotine, exploiting legal loopholes and creating a false sense of safety.”

He emphasised that scientific evidence showed that synthetic nicotine is chemically identical to tobacco-derived nicotine and just as addictive.

“It binds to brain receptors, triggers dopamine, and can lead to dependence.

“High-dose exposure, common in these products, poses serious risks, especially to adolescents, whose developing brains are vulnerable to long-term effects like attention deficits, impulsivity, and increased addiction risk.”

According to him, the worst part is that these products are being marketed online with barely any age checks, making it easily accessible to young people, way easier than traditional tobacco.

Akinbode called on the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Standards Organisation of Nigeria, Ministry of Trade and Investment, Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, and other agencies to harmonise their regulatory approaches.

He disclosed that the research identified divergent institutional understandings of these products, with some agencies viewing them primarily as commodities subject to trade standards and others recognising their public health implications.

According to him, such institutional fragmentation allows industry players to exploit regulatory gaps.

He disclosed that digital marketing posed an urgent growing threat, with influencers and algorithms normalising nicotine use among youths.

“Unless advertising and promotional loopholes are closed decisively, Nigeria will continue to witness the normalisation of nicotine consumption within online youth culture.”

Akinbode highlighted that public education must be revitalised to clarify that nicotine is addictive and harmful, even without smoke.

He stressed that Nigeria’s tobacco control future depends on evidence, unified regulation, and political courage, not industry narratives.

On the study methodology, he disclosed that the study conducted between October and December 2025, had field surveillance in Lagos, Enugu, and the FCT, combined with digital monitoring.

Similarly, Prof Lekan Ayo-Yusuf of Africa Centre for Tobacco Industry Monitoring and Policy Research (ATIM), said Nigeria could act early, before nicotine dependence becomes widespread and deeply rooted.

Ayo-Yusuf said the report provides evidence to act decisively, close gaps, align policy with evolving markets, and protect young people from a new cycle of nicotine dependence. (NAN)