Nigeria fights tobacco and drugs giants in court

The Nigerian state of Kano is in the process of suing two multinationals.

Pfizer is accused of using Nigerian children to test anti-meningitis drugs without parental consent.

British American Tobacco (BAT) is alleged to be luring children into using their products. It’s a vivid example of the benefits of free trade to developing countries.

The case against the tobacco firms could be a profoundly damaging blow to an industry that has been relying on expansion in the developing world to compensate for shrinking sales in the US and the UK, where court cases and public health campaigns have produced a sharp drop in smoking.

Nigeria’s largest state, Kano, was embroiled yesterday in separate court battles against two of the West’s largest multinationals who are both accused of actions that posed a serious damage to the health of Nigerian children.

British American Tobacco (BAT) is being sued over documents that appear to show the company boosted its Nigerian market with a sales strategy that consciously targeted children.

Four Nigerian states, including the northern state of Kano, are seeking more than £19bn from BAT and other tobacco companies to cover the health treatment they estimate smokers will need, and as punitive damages.

In a separate case, the New York-based pharmaceuticals giant, Pfizer, is being sued for £3.5bn over a drug trial conducted 11 years ago, which is already the subject of a prolonged battle in the US courts.

Posted by Watson

RELATED ITEMS

• Pfizer Faces Criminal Charges in Nigeria
  Posted by Szamko on Wednesday, May 30th 2007
• African News Roundup
  Posted by JanBegine on Tuesday, May 9th 2006
• Report: The 14 Most Evil Corporations
  Posted by karim on Tuesday, December 13th 2005
• If you knew... 5/8/06
  Posted by mwm on Wednesday, May 10th 2006
• Nigeria Strikes Back at British American Tobacco
  Posted by anthony on Thursday, May 31st 2007