Nigeria
British American Tobacco (BAT) is calling on all relevant authorities to ensure full enforcement of the Tobacco Control Act (TCA) to achieve the objective of that law, including reduction of product smuggling. TCA, passed by the 7th Parliament of Nigeria and signed into law in 2015, seeks to bring order into the manufacturing, promotion, and distribution of tobacco products in the country.
Speaking on the enforcement of TCA almost one year after its enactment, Freddy Messanvi, director of legal and external affairs, BAT West Africa stated that “in line with our belief in the value of a balanced, workable, and evidenced-based regulatory framework, [BAT Nigeria] continually supports the objective of ensuring the effective implementation of practical tobacco control measures, provided that these measures adequately combat smoking activity in a manner which is proportionate, not duplicating or contradicting existing laws, and does not unjustifiably limit any right or objective.”
He also stated that for regulation to be effective, it must be very clear in terms of set objectives in order to reduce the health impact of tobacco use and should not leave the market at the mercy of smugglers and criminal gangs.
A year after the enactment of TCA, enforcement is yet to be fully implemented in Nigeria and this has provided opportunities for illicit products to thrive due to exploitation of the non-enforcement status.
Messanvi added: “We are a responsible organization that has constantly paid taxes and abided by the laws and regulations of Nigeria, supporting a success story of foreign direct investment and local production in our operations. We have been proactive by ensuring compliance with all requirements of the law. At this point, we can only appeal to all relevant government agencies saddled with the responsibility of implementation to speedily commence with the enforcement of TCA.”
He further stated: “As a responsible organization, we will continue to abide by all laws of the country we operate in and will support the effective implementation of [TCA] with a positive contribution of setting a new global benchmark in tobacco control.”