Nigerian Youths Take a Stand Against Tobacco Abuse

By a stroke of chance, 16-year-old Blessing Obiabo found herself at the heart of a growing national movement. A student of Lyngra Private Montessori School in Karu, Nasarawa State, Obiabo discovered her voice the day Cedars Refuge Foundation (CRF) brought its anti-tobacco campaign to her school.

“We are not fools; this is our future, and we are taking it back,” she declared.

Obiabo’s bold statement reflects a rising wave of youth-led activism against tobacco use in Nigeria, championed by the CRF’s flagship initiative, Students Congress Against Tobacco (SCAT). Launched under the banner of a “Tobacco-Free Revolution,” the campaign targets what CRF describes as the tobacco industry’s calculated and aggressive marketing to Nigerian youth.

A Counter-Offensive to Flavoured Addiction

At the campaign’s launch in Karu, CRF Executive Director Peter Unekwu-Ojo minced no words.

“The tobacco industry is a well-dressed cartel selling flavoured slavery. They aren’t selling lifestyle—they’re selling addiction, bubble-wrapped in mango flourish and influencer smiles.”

Unekwu-Ojo described modern tobacco products—especially e-cigarettes and vapes—as deceptive and dangerously appealing to teenagers. Brightly packaged and often infused with sweet flavours, these products are promoted via digital platforms and pop culture influencers, creating the illusion of harmless fun.

“It’s the same poison—just packaged in sleek tech and tropical flavours,” he warned.

Schools Becoming Hubs for Resistance

SCAT has already gained ground in schools across Nasarawa and Abuja, using peer-led clubs, creative advocacy campaigns, and intergenerational dialogues with teachers, parents, and community leaders to fight back.

CRF’s Programme/Operations Officer Abba Owoicho called it “a counter-offensive” against an epidemic thriving on ignorance and weak regulation.

“If we do not protect the future in classrooms, we will be fighting addiction in clinics,” Unekwu-Ojo added.

At Lyngra School, Head Teacher Mrs. Blessing Onu embraced the initiative with open arms.

“Our students will not be left defenceless in the face of such a manipulative industry,” she said, announcing the creation of a Tobacco-Free Club in the school.

Senior teacher Mr. Pius Nnaemeka echoed the urgency:

“If we continue to play soft while our children inhale poison, history will not forgive us.”

A Nationwide Awakening

The SCAT message is resonating beyond Nasarawa. At Klinnicaps Academy in Koroduma, students participated in interactive sessions during a CRF outreach event themed “Exposing Lies, Protecting Lives.”

“Tobacco use is not a fashion statement; it’s a death sentence disguised in shiny colours,” said Unekwu-Ojo.

Meanwhile, health professionals, civil society groups, and government officials are amplifying the message.

Mr. John Egla, Executive Director of Development Initiatives for Societal Health, emphasized that there is “no safe level of smoking,” while Prof. Abiodun Afolayan, Chair of the Nigeria Cancer Society in Kwara, linked rising lung cancer rates directly to tobacco use.

In Katsina, Commissioner for Health Alhaji Musa Adamu-Funtua warned during World No Tobacco Day that any society that permits youth exploitation by tobacco companies “is a society at risk.”

Mrs. Funmilayo Osiegbu, Executive Director of Bundies Care Support Initiative in Kwara, led a mothers’ march demanding stricter enforcement of Nigeria’s National Tobacco Control Act.

“We cannot stand by while our children are exposed to harmful tobacco products,” she said.

The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) also joined the call, with Executive Director Auwal Rafsanjani urging swift reforms, tougher enforcement, and targeted awareness campaigns.

A Movement in Motion

As SCAT prepares to expand into 30 schools by 2025, the campaign is evolving into a national youth-led movement. Obiabo’s voice now echoes across classrooms, government chambers, and advocacy spaces.

“Every child deserves a future free from the industry’s traps flavoured nicotine, flashy adverts, and peer-induced pressure,” said Unekwu-Ojo.

Mrs. Precious Ojiaku, Dean of Studies at Klinnicaps Academy, summed it up best:

“Living a morally grounded life and rejecting these traps is the strongest resistance we can teach.”

From classrooms to communities, the anti-tobacco fight in Nigeria is no longer a whisper—it’s a rallying cry.