A new public health report has revealed that Nigeria could save thousands of lives by allowing adult smokers access to safer nicotine alternatives like nicotine pouches, e-cigarettes, and heated tobacco. The report, titled The Lives Saved Report: Nigeria & Kenya, argues that conventional tobacco control measures alone are not enough to reduce the health burden caused by smoking.
The study was released by Global Health Focus, a research-led organisation advocating evidence-based public health interventions. According to the organisation’s Global Director for Research and Thought Leadership, Dr Yussuff Adebayo, Nigeria must urgently consider tobacco harm reduction (THR) as a complementary tool to reduce smoking-related deaths and diseases.
“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,” Dr Adebayo said in the report’s official statement. “Tobacco harm reduction gives us another tool to help adult smokers transition away from deadly cigarettes.”
THR is a public health strategy that focuses on replacing combustible tobacco products like cigarettes with safer, non-combustible alternatives. These alternatives include products that deliver nicotine without burning tobacco, thereby eliminating the toxic chemicals caused by combustion—the primary cause of smoking-related diseases.
The report emphasised that while global awareness of harm reduction is growing, Nigeria still lags behind. It noted that policymakers in the country are heavily reliant on the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) MPOWER framework, which, according to critics, downplays the role of harm reduction, despite the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control allowing it.
The report warned that without a clear and risk-proportionate regulatory framework, Nigeria may lose a critical opportunity to reduce smoking-related illnesses and deaths. It stated that there needs to be a distinction between conventional combustible cigarettes and non-combustible nicotine alternatives in Nigerian policy.
“Nigeria must develop a risk-proportionate regulatory framework, one that clearly distinguishes between combustible cigarettes and non-combustible nicotine alternatives,” the report stated.
Another issue highlighted is the high level of misinformation surrounding THR products. Many Nigerians, according to the study, mistakenly believe that e-cigarettes, nicotine pouches, and other smoke-free alternatives are just as harmful—or even more harmful—than traditional cigarettes. The report attributes this to fear-based campaigns and poor public education on the subject.
To tackle this, it calls for more public awareness efforts and urges academic institutions, research centres, and public health agencies to take the lead in generating local evidence and data on the effectiveness and safety of harm reduction products.
Dr Adebayo added, “Progress is slow, but there is momentum. We need to keep pushing for reforms based on science, not stigma.”
The report cites several international examples of successful harm reduction implementation. Sweden, which has one of the lowest smoking rates in the world, is expected to become the first smoke-free nation due to its widespread use of non-combustible nicotine products like snus. Other countries like New Zealand and the United Kingdom have also adopted harm reduction strategies, leading to significant declines in smoking prevalence.
Health experts in Nigeria argue that adopting THR could ease the pressure on the country’s overstretched health system. Smoking-related diseases, such as lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and heart disease, continue to cause thousands of preventable deaths annually and cost the healthcare system billions in treatment.
While the federal government has not officially embraced harm reduction in its anti-tobacco policies, some private health institutions and advocacy groups have begun hosting educational workshops and stakeholder engagement sessions to discuss THR options.
The report concludes by calling for greater collaboration between health professionals, non-governmental organisations, policymakers, and community leaders to correct public misconceptions and provide smokers with the tools and information they need to make healthier choices.
If Nigeria adopts THR, it could set a new path toward a smoke-free future—one built not just on bans and taxes, but on science, compassion, and innovation.
