The Senate on Tuesday
passed the National Tobacco Control Bill 2015 and the Equipment Leasing Bill
2015. The bill when assented to by President Goodluck Jonathan will repeal the
existing “Tobacco Smoking (Control) Act, CAP.T6, LFN 2004,” enacted in 1990 and
amended years later.
The bill will
ensure effective regulation and control of production, manufacture, sale,
labelling, advertising, promotion and sponsorship of tobacco and tobacco
products in Nigeria. It will also ensure balance between economic consideration
and health implications of tobacco manufacture, use and exposure to
environmental tobacco smoke, among other things.
The Equipment
Leasing Bill is intended to regulate the business of equipment leasing in
Nigeria. It is proposed to bring sanity and certainty to the practice of
leasing in Nigeria as well as protect the lessees (users) and the lessors
(owners).