By Ahmed Idris
Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole, said the Federal Executive Council (FEC) has ratified the Protocol to eliminate illicit trade in Tobacco products.
Briefing State House correspondents at the end of the weekly FEC meeting in Abuja, the minister said Nigeria was a party to the World Health Organization framework on Tobacco control, which the country signed the Protocol in 2004, and became operational in 2005.
He said the ratification would enable Nigeria control smuggling, and track tobacco marketing and raise taxes on the product.
“At today’s meeting Council ratified the protocol to eliminate illicit trade in tobacco products. As you might be aware Nigeria is a party to the WHO framework convention on tobacco control. What has happened now is that we have taken a step further by ratifying the protocol that we will control the illicit trade in tobacco.
“The beauty of this is that we now have a place once it is ratified and signed we will now be able control smuggling; we will be able to track tobacco marketing and we will able to raise taxes and minimize the adverse effects of tobacco directly and indirectly,’’ he said.
He said 34 countries had so far ratified the protocol, and expressed the hope that by July 2, 40 countries would have ratified the protocol.
