Nigerians Bring New $44 Billion Lawsuit Against Tobacco Companies

Nigeria’s federal government is demanding more than 5.3 trillion Naira — or more than $44 billion — from tobacco companies such as Philip Morris. It cites the health care costs of underage smokers.

This is just one of many lawsuits by Nigerian officials against American tobacco companies. A group of Nigerian state governments, led by the bloody rulers of Kano State, previously sued the tobacco companies for billions of dollars, seeking to compel the tobacco companies to pay smokers’ health care costs.

Nigeria’s Kano State is almost single-handedly responsible for reviving the terrible childhood disease of polio, which an international campaign had virtually wiped out throughout the world by 2002. Given Nigeria’s terrible public health record, it is hard to take seriously the public-health concerns that Nigerian officials are invoking to go after the tobacco companies.

Frankly, life expectancy in Nigeria is so low that smokers in that country will typically die of something other than tobacco-related ailments anyway. And the $44 billion sought just by Nigeria’s federal government amounts to more than half of the country’s Gross National Product (GNP).



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Comments

  1. BASHIR UBA says:

    I am strongly of the opioning of stoping the sales of cigarrates in all our environments at least one kilomitre away from schools, Hospitals.The task shall of adminstering the policies shall be by consumer protection councils of each state.

  2. BASHIR UBA says:

    I am strongly of the opioning of stoping the sales of cigarrates in all our environments at least one kilomitre away from schools, Hospitals.The task of adminstering the policies shall be by consumer protection councils of each state.

  3. Tobacco and its associated products have done no good to our society. Lawsuit is not even the solution. I expect the Federal Government to promulgate stricter legislations against the use of tobacco and its associated products in the public. If anyone insist on committing suicide (not giving heed to the advice of the SURGEON GENERAL) he or she should do it without infringing on the right of others to enjoy unpoluted air.

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