CISLAC Demands Upward Review of Tobacco Tax in Nigeria

Francis Sardauna in Katsina

The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) has advocated an upward review of tobacco tax in the country to reduce deaths from cancer and other tobacco-related causes.

The Executive Directive of CISLAC, Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, stated this on Wednesday in Katsina during a capacity building workshop for Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) on tobacco taxation and gender mainstreaming.

Organised by CISLAC, the one-day capacity building training, drew participants from various civil society organizations in the state.

Rafsanjani, represented by the Senior Finance Officer of the centre, Muhammed Murtala, urged the federal government to raise tobacco taxes to avert the spate of consumption in the country.

He said the way out on reducing tobacco-related deaths in the country was for the government to enormously increase tax on all tobacco products in the nation’s marketplace.

He added that effective tax administration on the tobacco products would benefit the health and economy of the nation and help reduce its usage, especially amongst women and youths in the country.

In his presentation titled: ‘Advocacy for Gender Inclusive and Tobacco Tax Policies’, the CISLAC’s Senior Programme Officer, Solomon Adoga, said many Nigerians were dying annually from the consumption tobacco products.

He said gender responsive tobacco tax policy would reduce the consumption of tobacco products and its attributed diseases among women in the country.

He stressed the importance of gender inclusiveness in advocating for effective policy implementation in the country.

Adoga said: “Like every other tobacco control measure, a gender responsive tobacco tax policy will seek to reduce tobacco consumption and its attributed diseases among women.

“However, the patterns of use, the impact of the consequences of tobacco use, the price responsiveness of men and women to tax changes differ along gender lines.

“Irrespective of these differences, tobacco taxation and other tobacco control measures remain gender neutral.”

In his remarks, the state Chairman of the coalition of CSOs, AbdurRahman Abdullahi, admonished them to intensify advocacy to relevant government agencies on the need to avert tobacco products consumption.