Cigarettes: Lower Sales, Higher Revenues

Nigerians now smoke fewer sticks of cigarettes than they did 6 years ago, a Statista market survey revealed.

The volume of cigarettes consumed (measured in pieces/sticks) by an average Nigerian smoker in a whole year dropped from about 124 pieces in 2018 to 116 pieces in 2023. 

However, the revenue of cigarette companies from an average Nigerian smoker increased from N7,100 to N14,100 within the same period (using the March 13 exchange rate of N1,592 per dollar). In dollar terms, the average revenue rose from $4.50 in 2018 to $9 in 2023. 

This increase in the price tobacco companies charge per Cigarette, as the average revenue figures indicate, might have led to the decrease in the quantity of cigarettes consumed. 

The decrease in sticks of cigarettes smoked could also be due to the consumption of alternatives to cigarettes, like marijuana, which is still considered illegal in Nigeria. Some also have a change of mind to stop smoking cigarettes due to its health risks.

As of 2021, only 15.2% of low-income earners in Nigeria smoke Cigarettes, data from Statista indicated. It was also revealed that the majority of cigarette smokers were men. 

Men smoked 80% of the total cigarettes consumed in Nigeria, while women consumed just 20%. 

The survey also revealed that youths aged 25-34 years old consumed the most cigarettes. They consumed over 42% of cigarettes in total.

Smoking for Profit

While smokers risk ill health and accompanying financial losses, their consumption of cigarettes yields tobacco producers tremendous revenues and profits.

Cigarette companies generated 6 billion dollars from smokers in Nigeria from 2018-2023. 

This revenue is the highest in West Africa and fifth in Africa, but its barely one-tenth of the revenue made from smokers in South Africa.  

Smoking for Losses

Millions of active and passive smokers lose their money and their lives globally. 

In Nigeria, 16,100 tobacco-related deaths occur annually, according to data on Tobacco Induced Diseases. 

These numbers may likely be grossly underestimated because of weak surveillance systems and the absence of regular measurement of the prevalence of tobacco use in the country.

The dangers of consistent intake of cigarettes include diseases of the heart, respiratory system, central nervous system and cancers of almost all organs of the body. There is also an increased risk of addiction to nicotine.

According to Tobacco Induced Diseases (TID), Cigarette smoking is the largest preventable cause of global mortality, with increasing prevalence in Sub-Saharan Africa, particularly among adolescents. It is responsible for more than 8 million deaths per year.

It is some sort of good news that the rate of cigarette consumption in Nigeria has slightly dropped. Still, more can be done to reduce the intake of cigarettes. This can be achieved through increased awareness of the dangers that come with smoking, especially among adolescents.