FG directs NAFDAC to halt sachet alcohol ban enforcement

The Federal Government has instructed the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to suspend all enforcement activities related to the proposed ban on sachet alcohol and 200ml PET bottle alcoholic beverages.
It also cautioned the agency to immediately stop sealing factories and warehouses in connection with the matter.

The directive was conveyed in a statement released on Wednesday in Abuja by the Special Adviser on Public Affairs to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Terrence Kuanum.
According to Kuanum, the decision followed a joint intervention by the Office of the SGF and the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), which expressed concerns about the security implications of continued enforcement without the full implementation of a National Alcohol Policy.
“Accordingly, all actions, decisions, or enforcement measures relating to the ongoing ban on sachet alcohol are to be suspended pending the final consultations and implementation of the National Alcohol Policy and the issuance of a final directive,” the statement said.
He explained that although the National Alcohol Policy had been signed by the Federal Ministry of Health in line with President Bola Tinubu’s directive, both offices maintained that NAFDAC must refrain from any enforcement actions until the policy is fully operational and further instructions are issued.
The government noted that such enforcement steps include factory closures, sealing of warehouses and public emphasis on the sachet alcohol prohibition.
The statement added that the continued sealing of warehouses and what it described as a “de facto ban” on sachet alcohol products, without a harmonised policy framework, was already triggering economic disruptions and posing security risks, particularly due to its impact on employment, supply chains and informal distribution networks across the country.
Kuanum stated that the position reaffirmed an earlier directive from the SGF’s office in December 2025, which suspended all actions regarding the proposed ban pending consultations and a final decision.
He further disclosed that the SGF’s office had received a letter dated November 13, 2025, from the House of Representatives Committee on Food and Drugs Administration and Control, raising concerns over NAFDAC’s planned enforcement actions and referencing existing National Assembly resolutions on the issue.
The letter, referenced NASS/10/HR/CT.53/77 and signed by the committee’s Deputy Chairman, Hon. Uchenna Okonkwo, highlighted concerns about the proposed enforcement measures and drew attention to prior resolutions of the National Assembly.
The Federal Government said it is reviewing legislative resolutions, public health considerations, economic implications and national interest issues surrounding the matter.
It added that the involvement of the National Security Adviser underscored that the issue had moved beyond regulatory concerns, warning that premature enforcement without coordinated policy implementation could destabilise communities, aggravate unemployment and create security challenges.
The government assured Nigerians and industry stakeholders that a final decision would be communicated after consultations and inter-agency coordination, in the interest of public health, economic stability and national security. (THE PUNCH)