The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) has challenged women journalists to take a more active role in influencing public policy and holding governments accountable for implementing effective tobacco control measures through gender-sensitive reporting.
The organisation said the media, particularly women journalists, must move beyond routine reportage to champion advocacy capable of shaping legislation, influencing budgetary priorities and protecting vulnerable groups from the harmful effects of tobacco use.
Speaking at a one-day training workshop on gender mainstreaming in tobacco control held in Gombe on Wednesday, Executive Director of CISLAC, Comrade Ibrahim Musa-Rafsanjani, said women journalists occupy a strategic position in the campaign for stronger tobacco regulation and enforcement.
The workshop, organised by CISLAC with support from Tax Justice Network Africa (TJNA), brought together members of the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) in Gombe State to strengthen their capacity on tobacco tax advocacy and gender-responsive reporting.
Represented by CISLAC’s Senior Finance Officer, Mohammed Muritala, Musa-Rafsanjani said evidence had shown that tobacco use and exposure affect women differently and often more severely than men, making gender-responsive advocacy imperative.
“We are here today to train members and executives of NAWOJ in Gombe State on tobacco tax advocacy and to build their capacity on how to report tobacco issues appropriately using gender lenses,” he said.
“We discovered that tobacco affects women disproportionately compared to men. Therefore, women journalists must use their voices and platforms to advocate for stronger tobacco control policies and ensure that their reports adequately capture how tobacco affects women and their reproductive health.”
He urged journalists to use their influence to push policymakers toward adopting tougher tobacco control measures, warning that failure to act would continue to expose women and children to preventable health risks.
He said women journalists, as mothers and role models, were strategically positioned to discourage children and young people from taking up tobacco use.
“To start tobacco use is one thing, but quitting is another entirely because tobacco is highly addictive. If mothers are able to monitor and guide their children properly, they can discourage them from taking up the habit in the first place,” he said.
“The chances of becoming addicted are reduced if children are prevented from starting early. Women and journalists alike are very crucial in this area because many people look up to them in society.”
Musa-Rafsanjani also linked tobacco control to fiscal policy, arguing that governments must demonstrate stronger political will by aligning Nigeria’s tobacco taxation regime with international standards.
According to him, although Nigeria has adopted tobacco taxation policies, the existing framework remains inadequate to significantly reduce tobacco consumption.
“Nigeria has a tobacco taxation policy, but the current rates are not high enough to discourage consumption in line with ECOWAS recommendations and World Health Organisation benchmarks,” he said.
“We need to improve the excise tax rates to reduce affordability and ultimately reduce tobacco consumption.”
He noted that the intervention was being implemented across several African countries through support from Tax Justice Network Africa and funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, adding that effective tobacco taxation remained one of the most potent policy tools available to governments.
Earlier, CISLAC Programme Manager, Solomon Adoga, said the training aimed to equip journalists with the knowledge required to interrogate public policies and expose the gender dimensions often ignored in tobacco control debates.
“What we did today was to engage women journalists in Gombe State to create awareness and understanding of tobacco use, exposure and the associated risks,” Adoga said.
“We also sought to establish the gender dimensions associated with tobacco use and drive home the importance of gender mainstreaming in policy formulation and implementation, particularly in tobacco control policies.”
He stressed that women occupy influential positions in society and can help dismantle misleading narratives promoted around tobacco products.
“Our expectation is that these women will use their platforms to amplify the message that flavoured tobacco products are not less harmful and that tobacco use does not enhance beauty, contrary to some misconceptions,” he added.
Adoga further advocated for gender-responsive budgeting and policymaking, urging governments to ensure that revenues generated from tobacco taxes are channelled towards public health interventions that benefit women and vulnerable populations.
Also speaking, Chairperson of the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Gombe State chapter, Abigail Kolo, described the workshop as timely and necessary, saying the media had an important responsibility in influencing social behaviour and public policy.
“This workshop has educated us and will improve our reporting. Journalists are already contributing to the reduction of tobacco use through awareness creation, and this training will strengthen our efforts,” she said.
“Tobacco remains a serious public health concern. We still have a long way to go, but journalists in Gombe State are committed to educating people through our reports and direct engagement, especially with young people.”
She expressed optimism that sustained media advocacy would contribute to significant reductions in tobacco use.
“We hope that one day Gombe State will proudly say that tobacco smoking has drastically reduced because of the collective efforts of all stakeholders,” she said.
Similarly, Chairperson of the Media Working Group on Health, Rebecca Maina, said participants had acquired new perspectives that would enrich health reporting and deepen scrutiny of tobacco-related policies.
“I believe participants are leaving here with a lot of knowledge,” Maina said.
“We will now go beyond routine news reportage to bring out the key issues discussed today. This opportunity has broadened our understanding and will help us tell more impactful stories on tobacco control and public health.”
