The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has resumed enforcement of the ban on sachet alcohol, despite objections from industry stakeholders.
NAFDAC clarified that no alcohol-producing company has been shut down, stressing that the enforcement targets only the sale of alcohol in sachets, which the agency says pose serious public health risks.
In a statement issued on Thursday, NAFDAC Director-General Prof. Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye said the action is aimed at protecting children, adolescents, and young adults from harmful alcohol use.
“The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has resumed enforcement of the ban on the production and sale of alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets, in line with a resolution of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the agency’s public health mandate,” the statement read.
Adeyeye cited alarming reports from schools, including an incident where a teacher reported that a student claimed he could not sit for an examination without first consuming sachet alcohol.
She recalled that in December 2018, NAFDAC, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding with manufacturers to phase out sachet alcohol by January 31, 2024.
According to Adeyeye, the moratorium was later extended to December 2025 to allow manufacturers to exhaust existing stock and adjust their production lines.
“The current Senate resolution aligns with the spirit and letter of that agreement and with Nigeria’s commitment to the World Health Assembly Global Strategy to Reduce the Harmful Use of Alcohol,” she said, adding that enforcement is not intended to punish manufacturers but to safeguard public health.
Despite this, manufacturers and other stakeholders have continued to oppose the ban, citing concerns over its economic impact.
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