Ekiti State, CAPPA Unite to Combat Rising Nicotine Addiction Among Youths

In a bid to tackle the growing menace of tobacco and nicotine addiction, the Ekiti State Government has joined forces with the Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) to intensify advocacy efforts. This partnership aims to protect residents, particularly young people, from the dangers of nicotine addiction. At a stakeholders' engagement ceremony held in Ado Ekiti to commemorate the 2026 World No Tobacco Day, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health and Human Services, Sola Gbenga-Igotun, expressed deep concern over the increasing exposure of children and youths to tobacco and emerging nicotine products. The event, themed 'Unmasking the Appeal: Countering Nicotine and Tobacco Addiction,' was organized by the ministry in collaboration with CAPPA. Gbenga-Igotun described tobacco and nicotine use as a serious threat to public health, urging stakeholders to step up their efforts to curb the trend. She emphasized the need for parents and guardians to be more vigilant, as many nicotine products are odorless and difficult to detect. According to her, children as young as seven, eight, and nine years old are already victims of nicotine addiction, with some smoking these products without their parents' knowledge due to their odorless nature. The Director of Public Health in the ministry, Dr. Abayomi Ibrahim, revealed that the state government plans to review its tobacco control framework to address emerging tobacco and nicotine products such as shisha and e-cigarettes. He highlighted the state's achievements, including the enactment of the 2012 Smoke-Free Law, which prohibits smoking in public places, and the Ado Ekiti Declaration of 2025, which designated the state capital as a smoke-free city. Despite the progress made, Ibrahim identified weak enforcement, inadequate funding, increasing youth attraction to nicotine products, tobacco industry interference, and limited data as major challenges confronting tobacco control efforts. He advocated for stronger enforcement through the training of health officials and law enforcement officers, dedicated funding for tobacco control programs, and expanded youth-focused interventions, including school-based awareness campaigns and peer education initiatives. Ibrahim also called for deeper community engagement involving traditional and religious leaders, as well as improved monitoring and evaluation systems. Speaking on behalf of CAPPA, the organization's Assistant Executive Director, Zikora Ibeh, commended Ekiti State for its commitment to tobacco control and maintaining its smoke-free status. She warned that tobacco companies are increasingly targeting young people through the promotion of alternative nicotine products. According to her, such marketing strategies are aimed at recruiting new users and sustaining addiction. Ibeh urged authorities to strengthen regulations governing vaping and other emerging nicotine products to protect young people from addiction and its health consequences. The Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Mrs. Tosin Aluko-Ajisafe, represented by the ministry's Permanent Secretary, Dr. Sunday Omoya, stressed the need for collective action to combat tobacco and nicotine use. The event attracted representatives of the Christian Association of Nigeria, the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, security agencies, environmental health officers, and officials of Ado Ekiti Local Government. Tobacco use remains one of the leading preventable causes of death globally, with public health experts raising concerns over the growing popularity of emerging nicotine products among young people. The collaboration between Ekiti State and CAPPA is part of efforts to strengthen tobacco control measures and protect residents, especially children and youths, from the dangers of nicotine addiction.