CAPPA Hails NFVCB, Nigerian Public Health Experts Over WHO Tobacco Control Awards

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Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has congratulated the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) and two Nigerian-born public health experts for emerging winners of the World Health Organisation (WHO) World No Tobacco Day 2026 Awards.

The organisation described the recognition as a major boost for tobacco control efforts in Nigeria and across Africa.

The NFVCB, Professor Olalekan Ayo-Yusuf of the University of Pretoria’s School of Health Systems and Public Health, and Professor Catherine Egbe of the South African Medical Research Council were named among the five recipients from the African region unveiled by the WHO on May 19, 2026.

The other African award recipients are Nare Narcisse Mathurin of Burkina Faso and Louise Mapleh Kpoto of Liberia.

Prof. Catherine Egbe and Prof. Olalekan Ayo-Yusuf


In a statement issued by the organidation's Media and Communication Officer, Robert Egbe after the announcement, CAPPA said the awards reflected years of consistent advocacy and commitment towards protecting public health and resisting tobacco industry influence.

Executive Director of CAPPA, Akinbode Oluwafemi, said the recognition highlighted the growing impact of African-led initiatives aimed at reducing tobacco use and protecting young people from nicotine addiction.

“We warmly congratulate the NFVCB, Professor Catherine Egbe and Professor Olalekan Ayo-Yusuf on this well-deserved global recognition,” he said.

“Their work has strengthened tobacco control efforts not only in Nigeria but across the African continent. This honour is also a reminder that sustained advocacy, strong regulation and evidence-based public health policies can save lives.”

Oluwafemi particularly commended the NFVCB and its Director-General, Dr Shaibu Hussein, for introducing regulations in 2024 prohibiting the promotion and glamorisation of tobacco and nicotine products in Nigerian films, music videos and skits.

He described the decision as a courageous step against the normalisation of smoking in entertainment media.


Dr Shaibu Hussein


“At a time when the tobacco industry increasingly targets young people through popular culture and digital content, this policy sends a powerful message that public health must come before corporate profit,” he added.

The regulation, approved by the Federal Ministry of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy under the NFVCB Act of 1993, aligns with Nigeria’s National Tobacco Control Act 2015 and the National Tobacco Control Regulations 2019.

Nigeria became the first African country and the second globally after India to introduce restrictions on tobacco promotion in entertainment media.

CAPPA noted that the policy followed years of advocacy under the #SmokeFreeNollywood campaign championed by tobacco control groups, including CAPPA and the Nigerian Tobacco Control Alliance (NTCA).

The organisation also congratulated all other global recipients recognised by the WHO, including Yemeni Prime Minister Dr Shaya Mohsin Zindani, who received the WHO Director-General’s Special Award.

CAPPA urged Nigerian authorities to sustain momentum by fully implementing existing tobacco control laws and resisting interference from tobacco companies.

“Recognition is important, but the bigger task remains protecting Nigerians, especially young people, from the devastating health and economic consequences of tobacco use,” Oluwafemi stated.

World No Tobacco Day is observed annually on May 31. The 2026 theme, “Unmask the appeal – countering tobacco and nicotine addiction,” focuses on exposing tactics used by tobacco and nicotine industries to attract young people into addiction.

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