The Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA), the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), and the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare have expressed their opposition to aspects of a proposed bill aimed at expanding regulatory oversight of tobacco products. They caution that this could lead to overlapping responsibilities, elevate business expenses, and hinder legitimate operations.
The stakeholders have called for a reassessment of the proposed Food, Medical Products and Related Products (Registration, Etc.) Bill, 2026, arguing that its stipulations might conflict with current laws and introduce ambiguity regarding the roles of regulatory bodies.
In a formal statement to the Senate Committee on Health, NECA urged the National Assembly to exclude tobacco products from the proposed legislation, which is put forward by Senator Umar Sadiq Suleiman.
This bill, which successfully passed its second reading in the Senate on July 21, 2026, intends to repeal the Food, Drugs and Related Products Act, 2004, and create a new regulatory structure for food,
This post was originally published on this site.
