Koko Maxwella 
LAGOS, Nigeria – More than 570 new nicotine products enter Nigeria’s markets within three months, exploiting regulatory gaps and targeting young consumers, health advocates warn.
A new report on Thursday by Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) documents 781 nicotine and tobacco products sold between October and December 2025 across Lagos, Enugu and Abuja.
Of these, 573 are classified as new and emerging nicotine and tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, nicotine pouches and heated tobacco devices.
“This is a layered nicotine ecosystem embedding itself into everyday consumer culture,” says CAPPA Executive Director Akinbode Oluwafemi.
He says many products are marketed as lifestyle accessories, masking nicotine’s addictive nature.
CAPPA warns that Nigeria’s National Tobacco Control Act 2015 does not adequately regulate modern nicotine delivery systems. New Nicotine Products Flood Nigeria, Targeting Youth
“These products are entry points, not exit ramps,” Oluwafemi says.
Professor Lekan Ayo-Yusuf of the Africa Centre for Tobacco Industry Monitoring urges Nigeria to regulate nicotine itself, not just tobacco.
CAPPA calls for tighter digital advertising rules, excise taxes and inter-agency coordination, warning that failure to act could reverse tobacco control gains among Nigeria’s youth.
About the Author
Otamere Gladness 
Oluwatobi Adu 
Edino Chubiyo Cornelius 