FOE Nigeria received the $100K Award for its contribution to monitoring and fighting tobacco industry activities.
Source: ATCRI
REMARKS BY AKINBODE OLUWAFEMI ON BEHALF OF
ENVIRONMENTAL RIGHTS ACTION/FRIENDS OF THE EARTH, NIGERIA (ERA/FoEN)
First, I want to thank the Bloomberg Philanthropies for organizing this award. It is soothing to know that the little we are doing to reduce deaths and diseases caused by Big Tobacco in Nigeria and across Africa is appreciated even beyond the continent.
Nigeria and indeed the whole of Africa face tough challenges. There is the problem of poverty, polio, HIV/AIDS and Malaria. Sadly, Africa is also the last prize tobacco companies are competing to win. Faced with plummeting markets in other parts of the world, tobacco companies have mapped out the tender lungs of our youths and women as enormous profit opportunities. This is what we are resisting.
Today, smoking rates may be said to be relatively low in majority of African countries but the sad truth is that those rates are rising. If current tobacco companies’ assault on the continent is not contained, Africa will face a tobacco pandemic never witnessed in human history. This is the time to invest in tobacco control in Africa. Every penny spent in tobacco control is helping to prevent a public health catastrophe. It is an investment in a healthier, wealthier Africa; an investment in saving the lives of African kids from tobacco addiction.
To us in ERA/FOEN we are deeply appreciative of this award. We dedicate this award to all the tobacco control advocates in Africa struggling with shoe –string budgets to resist tobacco company’s big budgets. We dedicate this award to the tobacco control community in Nigeria, to Nigeria Heart Foundation, Educare Trust, Journalists Action on Tobacco and Health, Youth Action Against Tobacco, All Nigeria Consumers Movement Union (ANCOMU). We also want to thank all our allies and partners in the international community.
ERA/FoEN is an advocate for environmental justice and we strongly believe that tobacco production and consumption is an affront on the rights of innocent people in Africa and everywhere else.
Monitoring and exposing tobacco corporations’ abuses is a risky venture in Nigeria. I will therefore specially thank all my colleagues in ERA, especially those who work directly on the tobacco campaign: Seun Akioye, Philip Jakpor, Betty Abah and Tosin Akinola whom we have sent several times on those dangerous missions. Your long nights at secret smoking parties have not been in vain. Thank you ERA people.
We like to thank the individuals and institutions that nominated ERA/FoEN for this award. Last and by no means the least is to say thank you to my wife for all her support and great understanding.
Thank you all.
I am so happy to be associated with Mr. Bode and ERA, this has shown us that everything is possible in Africa. Congrats on behalf of other activist.
Emmanuel Odiase
SmokeFree Foundation
Abuja-Nigeria
Posted by: Emmanuel Odiase | March 14, 2009 at 12:05 PM