A new report has stated that adopting safer smoking practices, such as nicotine pouches, can save thousands of adult smokers in Nigeria, as conventional anti-smoking policies alone are not enough to curb tobacco-related illnesses and deaths.
According to a statement, ‘The Lives Saved Report: Nigeria & Kenya’ stated that Nigeria could save thousands of lives by giving adult smokers access to less harmful alternatives such as nicotine pouches, heated tobacco, and e-cigarettes. It urged Nigeria to adopt safer smoking practices through the health strategy of tobacco harm reduction.
The report said, “With bold leadership and smart policy, Nigeria can chart a new path toward a smoke-free future, one built on compassion, science, and common sense.”
Global Director for Research and Thought Leadership at Global Health Focus, Dr Yussuff Adebayo, explained that although existing measures such as taxation, advertising bans, and public smoking restrictions have helped, they do not fully address the needs of smokers who cannot quit.
Adebayo noted, “Traditional tobacco control efforts like taxation, advertising bans, and public smoking restrictions have been useful, but they fall short in addressing the fact that many smokers simply can’t quit. Tobacco Harm Reduction gives us another tool to help adult smokers transition away from deadly cigarettes.”
The statement added that THR, a public health strategy, recommends replacing traditional cigarettes with non-combustible nicotine alternatives that eliminate the toxic effects of tobacco burning.
The report observed that despite global momentum, THR remains poorly understood in Nigeria. It stressed that policymakers and regulators continue to rely heavily on the World Health Organisation’s MPOWER framework, which critics say does not prioritise harm reduction, even though the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control permits it.
The report warned that Nigeria risks missing a major public health opportunity if it fails to develop a regulatory framework that differentiates between combustible cigarettes and safer alternatives.
It stated, “Nigeria must develop a risk-proportionate regulatory framework, one that clearly distinguishes between combustible cigarettes and non-combustible nicotine alternatives.”
The document also raised concern over widespread public misinformation about THR products, noting that fear-based campaigns have led many Nigerians to wrongly believe that e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches are as harmful as or worse than regular cigarettes.
It called for more public education and urged universities, research institutions, and public health agencies to lead the generation of local data on safer smoking alternatives.
The report cited countries like the United Kingdom, Sweden, and New Zealand as examples of successful THR implementation. It noted that Sweden is on track to become the world’s first smoke-free nation due to its high adoption of non-combustible nicotine products.
It was reported that experts have warned that Nigeria’s health system continues to bear the economic burden of tobacco-related diseases. They argued that THR presents a cost-effective strategy that could reduce preventable hospital admissions and support the country’s push for universal health coverage.
While Nigeria has not officially adopted harm reduction policies, some advocacy groups and private health institutions have started organising workshops and stakeholder sessions to introduce THR concepts to the public.
The Global Health Focus Research Director, Adebayo, remarked, “Progress is slow, but there is momentum. We need to keep pushing for reforms based on science, not stigma.”
The report stressed that collaboration among health professionals, non-governmental organisations, researchers, and community influencers would be key to correcting public misconceptions and encouraging informed decisions among smokers.
