By Sodiq Mojibola & Ibrahim Awotunde

A three-month field study conducted by Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has revealed that 781 nicotine and tobacco-related products are currently circulating in Nigeria, many of them sleek, flavoured and strategically promoted within youth-populated digital spaces.

The study found that 573 of the products belong to a fast-growing category of electronic, smokeless and flavoured devices that researchers say are reshaping consumption patterns and exposing young people to early addiction.

Findings from the study further revealed that the products are packaged in bright colours, designed with gadget-like appeal and marketed in ways that reduce risk perception among younger consumers. Despite their modern presentation, the report stresses that nicotine, a highly addictive substance remains the central commodity.

A report of findings from the study titled ‘New Smoke Trap: New and Emerging Nicotine and Tobacco Products, Youth Exposure and Policy Gaps in Nigeria’ was presented in Lagos, following field study carried out across Lagos, Enugu and the Federal Capital Territory between October and December 2025.

The researchers warned that weak regulatory definitions, fragmented enforcement and outdated legal frameworks are creating openings that allow these emerging nicotine products to reach Nigerian youths with limited restraint.

A rapidly expanding smokeless market

Through retail monitoring, digital ecosystem tracking and user surveys, the researchers documented 522 variants of e-cigarettes commonly known as vapes, dominating both physical outlets and online marketplaces.

The study also identified 38 nicotine pouch products circulating largely through digital channels, alongside 13 heated tobacco devices entering the market.

CAPPA’s Executive Director, Akinbode Oluwafemi, said many of the devices appear deliberately designed to attract younger consumers.

“These products are sleek, flavoured and promoted within youth-populated digital spaces. Yet nicotine remains the central commodity. The delivery system has changed, but the addictive substance has not,” he said.

Designed for visibility, priced for experimentation

Field monitors reported that many of the products are packaged in bright colours and gadget-like designs, often displayed alongside snacks, cosmetics, beverages and electronic accessories.

Researcher Zikora Ibeh said such placement contributes to normalisation. “They sit beside everyday consumer goods. Many people hardly recognise them as nicotine-delivery devices because of how ordinary they appear.

“Disposable devices advertise puff counts ranging from 600 to 50,000. Prices vary significantly, creating low-cost entry points for first-time users while also offering premium options for heavier consumers.

“Nicotine concentrations recorded during the study ranged from 3mg to 100mg per pouch. Some products did not clearly display nicotine levels on physical packaging but promoted higher strengths online,” she said.

Olamide Ogunlade, who analysed interviews with users aged 18 to 25, said several respondents began with disposable devices before progressing to refillable systems as dependence deepened.

“These products function as entry points rather than exit pathways,” he said, noting instances of initiation among young Nigerians who had never smoked combustible cigarettes.

Smokeless does not mean harmless

Unlike traditional cigarettes, many of the new devices are marketed as smokeless, odourless or tobacco-free. Advocates say these attributes reduce stigma and enable discreet use in classrooms, offices and public gatherings.

They also noted that nicotine pouches are frequently promoted as usable “anywhere”, reinforcing perceptions of reduced harm.

Mr Oluwafemi cautioned that synthetic nicotine widely used in these products is pharmacologically identical to tobacco-derived nicotine.

“The products under examination include e-cigarettes, nicotine pouches and heated tobacco products, all of which are now highly visible in supermarkets, embedded in nightlife environments, and aggressively promoted across digital platforms that are disproportionately accessed by young people.

“Nicotine is highly addictive regardless of how it is delivered,” Mr Oluwafemi said, warning that high-dose exposure poses significant risks to adolescents whose brains are still developing.

He accused the tobacco industry of rebranding addiction as innovation in response to growing global regulation and social stigma around smoking.

Public health experts at the event argued that the shift from smoke to sleek technology risks obscuring long-term health implications while entrenching dependency.

Regulatory gaps under pressure

Nigeria’s National Tobacco Control Act 2015 and its 2019 Regulations primarily target products that burn tobacco leaf.

According to CAPPA, devices marketed as tobacco-free but containing synthetic nicotine fall within definitional grey areas.

Mr Oluwafemi said the law remains important but was crafted to address a specific method of nicotine delivery.

“When products are engineered to sit at the margins of existing definitions, enforcement becomes complicated,” he said.

The report also highlights institutional fragmentation. Health authorities often approach the products as public health threats, while trade and standards agencies may classify them as consumer goods, resulting in inconsistent enforcement.

A Professor and Director of the Africa Centre for Tobacco Industry Monitoring and Policy Research, Lekan Ayo-Yusuf, said Nigeria still has an opportunity to act before the market becomes entrenched.

“Anticipatory regulation protects populations. Delayed regulation protects markets,” he said.

He urged policymakers to regulate nicotine itself rather than focusing solely on tobacco leaf, adding that products presented as cessation aids or reduced-harm alternatives should undergo medical testing and regulatory scrutiny.

Development stakes for a young nation

With more than 70 per cent of Nigeria’s population under 30, speakers at the event described youth exposure to nicotine as a development challenge.

They warned that rising dependence among young people could increase future healthcare costs, reduce productivity and create long-term social burdens.

CAPPA also cautioned against adopting foreign narratives such as the “Quit Like Sweden” model without replicating the broader policy measures that accompanied lower smoking rates in that country, including taxation, advertising restrictions and comprehensive smoke-free laws.

Call for comprehensive reform

The report recommends extending regulatory oversight to all nicotine products regardless of form, integrating emerging devices into the excise tax framework, strengthening digital advertising controls with enforceable age-verification systems and improving coordination among agencies.

It also calls for nationwide public education campaigns to clarify that the absence of smoke does not equate to the absence of harm.

Mr Oluwafemi said Nigeria faces a decisive moment. “The question is whether we allow innovation to outpace regulation or whether we update our policies to protect young people,” he said.

As sleek nicotine devices proliferate across nightlife districts and online platforms, public health advocates warn that the pace of regulatory response may determine whether Nigeria curbs youth initiation or confronts a new generation of long-term addiction.