The Federal Government in collaboration with Development Gateway (DG), a data for development non-profit organisation, has developed the Tobacco Control Data Initiative (TCDI) website.
The website is a “one-stop-shop” that will allow stakeholders and general public access to the relevant and up-to-date data to advance tobacco control legislation in the country.
The organisation in a statement on Wednesday released in Abuja, said the TCDI was in response to the increased use of tobacco products in Nigeria and the various dangers it portends for the general public, especially the young people.
It noted that the TCDI became necessary due to the staggering statistic about tobacco use in Nigeria.
Among the partners working on the data dashboard are the Federal Ministry of Health, University of Cape Town Research Unit on the Economics of Excisable Products (REEP) and the Development Gateway.
The statement read, “At least 16,100 Nigerians die annually because of illnesses linked to tobacco use; 3.2 million Nigerians between the ages of 15 and 49 used tobacco in 2018; and about 200,000 tobacco users are women (NDHS, 2018).
“While tobacco consumption globally is decreasing, by 2030 the number of smokers in Africa is anticipated to rise by nearly 40% from 2010 levels. This is the largest expected increase in the world; particularly alarming when juxtaposed with the fact that Nigeria is a tobacco production hub and was the third largest exporter of cigarettes in 2018 (Africa’s Tobacco Epidemic, Tobacco Tactics, 2020).”
The organisation said the TCDI would fill in the data gap in tobacco control that would enable legislators and decision makers use correct data to inform public health policies, adding that certain legislative policies were proven to reduce the use of tobacco products.
The statement added, “Through their research, the TCDI team identified common themes in the data landscape. These relate to concerns about data accuracy, comparability, timeliness, and accessibility. As a result, the TCDI team understands the data needs and gaps, has identified existing data, and developed the TCDI Nigeria website that enables decision-makers to use essential data to inform tobacco control policy more effectively. “
Speaking further, the Development Gateway said the website would make use of primary and secondary data to present tobacco control formation in a user-friendly format, with graphs, facts and success stories.
It stated, “Together, partners co-designed a publicly available website (
https://nigeria.tobaccocontroldata.org/) that aims to address key decision-making needs. The website equips stakeholders in government, civil society, academia, and the general public with reliable and up-to-date evidence to promote tobacco control and public health.
“….The website was created through an agile, co-design process in close consultation with key tobacco control stakeholders in Nigeria, including the Federal Ministry of Health; Nigerian Tobacco Research Group, Federal Revenue Inland Services.”
