There are no nationally representative surveys of youth tobacco use in Nigeria.

Smaller studies that have been done at the state or city level, including the 2008 Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS), show that tobacco use rates for youths in school (ages 13-15) are higher than for adults. Half of adolescent tobacco users will continue using into adulthood. Tobacco use rates for girls are higher than for adult women, which could be a cause for concern if they continue into adulthood. Youth are more likely to use tobacco products other than cigarettes.

Rates of youth tobacco use vary widely in different locations and contexts. Risk factors for smoking also vary depending on context. For example, a study in  Enugu State found that, in rural areas, children from richer households were more likely to use tobacco than poorer households, but the opposite was true in urban areas.

Tobacco control issues should be included in the curriculum at least in secondary and primary school so students – who are targeted by the tobacco industry – can understand the harmful effects of tobacco.

CSO – TCDI Nigeria Assessment mission

One out of five of the world’s out-of-school youth are in Nigeria.

Although many tobacco control advocates are concerned about out-of-school youth and their likelihood of smoking cigarettes, most studies on youth smoking prevalence in Nigeria focus on school-going youth. Studies in Nigeria show that out-of-school youth are at higher risk for smoking than their in-school peers. Studies in South Africa show that out-of-school youth smoke 33% more than those in school. This pattern also holds in low and middle income countries – e.g., India and the Philippines. 

Out-of-school youth include street children and those who live in a home. Street children may be at even higher risk for tobacco use than those who have a home. In rural areas in Nigeria, it has been found that children who live on the street have higher smoking rates than their in-school peers.

Studies in India and the Philippines have documented that street children, who are usually out-of-school youths, are more vulnerable to risky practices, such as increased smoking and other forms of substance abuse, especially in the face of weak family bonds and the harsh realities of survival. These psychosocial factors were found to contribute significantly to the prevalence of smoking among street youth; adequate social support and efforts to integrate youths with their families may help reduce tobacco smoking. 

Out-of-school youths are usually least prioritized in tobacco smoking research and control programs and may lack opportunities to benefit from formal health education and antismoking campaigns, when compared to in-school youths. Prioritizing this group in smoking prevention campaigns may be particularly effective.