… Urge Participants to Replicate Knowledge Across the Continent
The Africa Centre for Tobacco Industry Monitoring and Policy Research (ATIM), housed at the University of Pretoria, in collaboration with the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF), has successfully concluded an intensive week-long training designed to strengthen Africa’s collective response to tobacco industry interference (TII).
Held from the 13th to 17th of October 2025 at the Fiesta Royale Hotel in Accra, Ghana, the training formed a core component of the BETA 3.0 Project – Building Capacity in Industry Monitoring for Effective Tobacco Control Advocacy in Africa.
The programme brought together 11 participants representing different African countries, including Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Benin, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana and Cote D'Ivoire.
The participants comprised public health experts, tobacco control advocates, journalist and government officials, all united by a common goal of advancing effective tobacco control policies across the continent.
Declaring the event open, Mr Desmond Boateng, Chief Director at Ghana’s Ministry of Health, welcomed participants and facilitators to the host country. He emphasised the significance of the training, noting that it came at a crucial time when Africa is witnessing a surge in tobacco industry interference through digital marketing, policy manipulation, and aggressive lobbying.
“It is a privilege for Ghana to host this important event, which brings together experts and practitioners from across Africa to strengthen our shared defence against tobacco industry interference,” Mr Boateng said.
Welcoming the participants, Professor O. A. Ayo-Yusuf, Director of ATIM, underscored that the training aimed to equip participants with practical skills for monitoring and countering the influence of the tobacco industry in their respective countries. He further discussed the growing trends of the industry’s “harm reduction” narrative and its implications for public health in Africa.
Throughout the week, the participants engaged in a series of interactive sessions, lectures, and group exercises facilitated by renowned experts, including Professor C. Egbe, S. Bialous, P. Lambart, P. Magati, Hala, A. Oluwafemi, and Mr Mohee.
The sessions covered a wide range of themes such as: Implementation frameworks for Article 5.3 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC)., Document research and analysis on tobacco industry interference, Political mapping and developing advocacy messages using evidence-based research, Legal mechanisms for holding the tobacco industry accountable, with African case studies, Myths around tobacco taxation and illicit trade, including strategies used by the industry to evade taxes, Practical exercises on creating monitoring models using social media and digital tools, The role of the media in promoting transparency and accountability in tobacco control.
Participants were also guided on how to develop country-specific Tobacco Industry Monitoring and Response (TIMR) frameworks and advocacy plans.
They presented these plans before facilitators for feedback and refinement. The training also introduced participants to digital tools such as the BETA online platform, the ATIM App, and monitoring systems developed by the Africa Tobacco Control Alliance (ATCA) to enhance regional coordination.
In his closing remarks, Professor Ayo-Yusuf encouraged the trainees to replicate the knowledge and strategies gained in their home countries and to continue collaborating as part of a continental movement against tobacco industry manipulation.
“This is more than just a training; it is a call to collective action. The battle for tobacco control in Africa must be won through vigilance, research, and advocacy,” he stated.
The participants expressed gratitude to ATIM and ACBF for the opportunity, pledging to apply their newly acquired knowledge to strengthen tobacco control efforts and policies in their respective countries.
The BETA 3.0 Project continues to serve as a continental platform that builds a new generation of African experts capable of monitoring, documenting, and countering tobacco industry tactics aimed at undermining public health.
The high point of the training, was issuance of certificate to the participants, networking and Collaboration opportunities for all.
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