The Nigeria Tobacco Control Alliance (NTCA) has faulted the allocation of mere N4.7 million to discourage the consumption of related products in the country.

The chairman, Akinbode Oluwafemi, at a press conference in Abuja, described the vote as not only laughable, but inconsequential.

He said it was unfortunate that the budget plunged by 50 per cent, when compared to the N9.4 million tally of last year.

The activists called on President Bola Tinubu and the National Assembly to urgently address the situation via better funding.

The group called on state ministries of Finance and Health, assemblies and governors to complement the Federal Government’s efforts by creating a budget line for tobacco control.

It argued that institutionalising tobacco control funding and following through with 100 per cent release of budgeted sums would boost implementation of life-saving provisions of the National Tobacco Control Act, 2015 and its Regulations of 2019.

NTCA applauded the President for his open declaration of war against drug trafficking at the 315th meeting of Heads of National Drug Law Enforcement Agencies in Africa.

The activists, therefore, called on him to make tobacco control a key strategy in combating the menace.