Client: Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, Washington DC
Context: Four years after the passage of Nigeria’s National Control Act 2019, the regulations needed to implement the law stalled at the parliament. With a few months left until the end of the tenure of the members, our client engaged us to develop a high-impact advocacy and pressure campaign to ensure the passage of the National Tobacco Control Regulations bill by the parliament of Nigeria in 2019.
Solution: Gatefield created a rallying campaign #DontWaitRegulate with other stakeholders in the public health sector. Our campaign forged a coalition of about 50 leading civil society actors, health workers, parents and youth influencers to ramp up conversation about the significance of the tobacco control regulations bill and petition the parliament to pass the tobacco control regulations with urgency. Gatefield employed these advocates to create compelling media and visual materials that encouraged the public to petition their legislators through a dedicated digital platform. Several ranking legislators responded positively and took open positions in support of the bill as a result of this pressure campaign. To provoke national interest in the advocacy, Gatefield crafted the central narrative around protecting the children, building on our survey report that showed a high prevalence of child smokers. We engaged with adult smokers who had started smoking as children, and brought them to tell stories of their lifelong struggles with addiction and to voice support for the tobacco control bill — making unlikely allies — and delivering a successful campaign.
Outcomes:
- Over 20 million impressions for messaging across social media
- Over 1000 petition signatures to National Assembly on regulations
- The Nigeria Tobacco Control Regulations was passed in June 2019
