Amid conflicting reports over the ban on sachet alcohol and small-volume alcoholic beverages in Nigeria, uncertainty continues to trail the Federal Government’s position, with opposing statements emerging from government officials and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).
The Federal Government was reported to have directed NAFDAC to suspend all enforcement actions relating to the proposed ban on sachet alcohol and alcoholic drinks packaged in 200ml PET bottles.
According to a statement issued Wednesday in Abuja by the Special Adviser on Public Affairs to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Terrence Kuanum, the directive also ordered the agency to immediately halt the sealing of factories and warehouses linked to the policy enforcement.
Kuanum explained that the decision followed a joint intervention by the Office of the SGF and the Office of the National Security Adviser, citing security concerns associated with continued enforcement in the absence of a fully implemented National Alcohol Policy.
However, NAFDAC has strongly refuted the claim.
In a counter-statement issued the same day, the agency’s Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, described the publication as “false and misleading,” insisting that no official communication had been received from the Federal Government ordering a suspension of enforcement activities.
“At no time has the agency received any formal directive ordering the suspension of its regulatory or enforcement activities in respect of sachet alcohol products,” Adeyeye stated.
She maintained that NAFDAC operates strictly within its statutory mandate and in line with duly communicated Federal Government policies.
Adeyeye added that any decision affecting national regulatory actions would be formally conveyed through appropriate government communication channels, urging the public, industry stakeholders, and the media to disregard unverified reports.
The NAFDAC boss reiterated the agency’s commitment to safeguarding public health, ensuring regulatory compliance, and carrying out its responsibilities transparently and in accordance with established laws.
She also cautioned against the spread of misinformation capable of triggering public anxiety, economic uncertainty, and policy misinterpretation.
The enforcement controversy follows NAFDAC’s January rollout of the ban on the production and sale of alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets and bottles below 200ml, in compliance with a Senate directive issued in November 2025 for implementation in December 2025.
The policy has since generated protests from industry operators, who warn that the ban could endanger about 500,000 direct jobs and nearly five million indirect livelihoods across the alcohol value chain, while also threatening investments estimated at N1.9 trillion.
Conversely, public health advocates support the restriction, arguing that easy access to sachet alcohol fuels underage drinking.
Health experts have warned that early exposure to alcohol increases the risk of lifelong addiction and is linked to organ damage, weakened immunity, truancy, criminal behaviour, and progression to harder substances.
As of press time, no harmonised official clarification had been issued to reconcile the conflicting positions, leaving manufacturers, distributors, and consumers in a state of uncertainty over the policy’s enforcement status.
