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A new study has raised concerns over tobacco companies’ growing efforts to attract women and girls in Nigeria through flavoured products, social media promotions and claims that emerging products such as vapes and e-cigarettes are safer alternatives to conventional cigarettes.
The study, presented by Gatefield, an Abuja-based public policy firm, found widespread exposure to tobacco-related content among women across five African countries and highlighted regulatory gaps surrounding emerging tobacco and nicotine products.
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The findings were unveiled on Friday during a virtual event ahead of World No Tobacco Day, observed annually on 31 May to raise awareness about the dangers of tobacco use and advocate stronger tobacco-control policies.
Experts at the event warned that tobacco companies are increasingly adapting their marketing strategies to appeal to women and girls by associating products with freedom, sophistication, health and modern lifestyles.
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They also called for stronger regulation of digital tobacco advertising and greater accountability for social media platforms hosting promotional content.
Findings
The study, titled “The Evolution of Tobacco Marketing to Women and Girls in Sub-Saharan Africa,” surveyed women and girls in Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, Rwanda and Senegal, with support from the Gates Foundation.
According to the findings, more than 77 per cent of respondents reported exposure to tobacco-related content through television, films and streaming platforms.
The study also found that 24 per cent of surveyed women had tried tobacco products, with women aged 18 to 24 identified as the primary target group for tobacco marketing.
Presenting the findings, Omei Bongos, co-principal investigator and Public Health Lead at Gatefield, said tobacco companies increasingly rely on harm-reduction narratives to market vapes and e-cigarettes as safer alternatives to traditional cigarettes.
Ms Bongos described such claims as misleading and said they are particularly effective because smoking remains culturally unacceptable for many women across the region.
The study found that 76 per cent of respondents considered smoking by women culturally unacceptable. South Africa, however, stood out as an exception.
“In South Africa, there was a bit of a difference, where 35 per cent of women considered smoking culturally acceptable,” she said.
Ms Bongos added that 85 per cent of Nigerian respondents reported encountering tobacco products in television programmes and films.
Similar levels of exposure were recorded in South Africa and Kenya, while the figures were slightly lower in Senegal and Rwanda at 69 per cent and 64 per cent, respectively.
Marketing tactics
According to the study, tobacco companies are using flavour variants such as mint and vanilla, alongside lifestyle-focused messaging, to appeal to women.
Researchers found that some marketing campaigns portray e-cigarettes as weight-management tools or meal substitutes, linking them to health, beauty and appearance concerns.
Ms Bongos cited responses from participants who reported seeing promotional claims suggesting that vaping could compensate for nutrients lost from skipping meals.
The study also found that 46 per cent of respondents had been exposed to tobacco marketing on social media through influencer promotions, product placements and giveaways.
Ms Bongos noted that while conventional cigarettes remain the dominant tobacco product, the popularity of vapes and e-cigarettes is increasing despite regulatory gaps.
She said weak enforcement mechanisms and cross-border advertising channels allow tobacco companies to circumvent local restrictions through films, television programmes and online content.
Calls for stronger regulation
To address the growing influence of tobacco marketing, Ms Bongos called for gender-responsive regulations covering all nicotine products, including emerging alternatives such as vapes and e-cigarettes.
She recommended banning flavours, colourful packaging and branding elements designed to appeal to women and girls, as well as introducing comprehensive restrictions on digital advertising, influencer marketing and proximity-based promotions.
Gatefield’s lead researcher, Farida Adamu, urged regulators to focus on platform accountability rather than individual influencers.
She suggested that technology companies should be required to detect, label or remove tobacco-related promotional content, similar to obligations imposed under the European Union’s Digital Services Act.
Ms Adamu also called for restrictions on tobacco products designed to resemble everyday items such as lipsticks and advocated closer collaboration between the ministries of health and information.
Senate committee
Speaking at the event, Ireti Kingibe, a senator representing the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), said the Senate Committee on Women Affairs is committed to addressing tobacco-related issues affecting women and girls.
READ ALSO: Smoking, alcohol raise women’s risk of HPV infection, cervical cancer – NIMR
Ms Kingibe, who was represented by her legislative aide, Mercy Kwabe, described the rebranding of tobacco products through flavours and attractive product designs as a growing public health concern requiring legislative attention.
She said public health should be viewed as a gender-equity issue and stressed the need to close enforcement gaps in Nigeria’s tobacco control framework.
According to her, existing laws can be effective if accompanied by sustained public awareness campaigns highlighting both the health and financial consequences of tobacco use.
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