The Nigerian government, in collaboration with Development Gateway (DG), has developed the Tobacco Control Data Initiative (TCDI) website, which is a “one-stop-shop” for stakeholders and the public to access relevant and up-to-date data to advance tobacco control legislation in the country, reports The Nation.

In a statement, the DG, a non-profit organisation that provides data for development, said the TCDI is a response to the increasing use of tobacco products in Nigeria and the associated dangers to the public, especially young people. According to DG, the TCDI has become necessary because of the staggering statistics on tobacco use in Nigeria.
3.2 million Nigerians between 15 and 49 years used tobacco in 2018. While tobacco use is declining globally, the number of smokers in Africa is expected to increase by almost 40 per cent by 2030 compared to 2010. “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).”
According to the report, 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.