iDeemlawfulThe Federal Government has directed the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control to immediately suspend all enforcement measures linked to the proposed ban on sachet alcohol and 200ml PET bottle alcoholic products.
It also cautioned the agency to halt the sealing of factories and warehouses over 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, Terrence Kuanum.
Kuanum explained that the decision followed a joint intervention by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the Office of the National Security Adviser, which expressed concerns about the security consequences of continuing enforcement without full implementation of the National Alcohol Policy.
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“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 read.
He noted that although the National Alcohol Policy had been approved by the Federal Ministry of Health in line with President Bola Tinubu’s directive, both offices insisted that NAFDAC must refrain from enforcement until the policy is fully operational and further instructions are given.
The government clarified that such enforcement actions include shutting down factories, sealing warehouses and publicly advancing the sachet alcohol ban.
The statement maintained that the continued closure of warehouses and what it termed a “de facto ban” on sachet alcohol products, without a coordinated policy framework, was already disrupting economic activities and creating security concerns, especially due to effects on employment, supply chains and informal distribution networks nationwide.
Kuanum said the position reaffirmed an earlier directive from the SGF’s office in December 2025, which suspended actions related to the proposed ban pending consultations and a final resolution.
He further disclosed that the SGF’s office received a letter from the House of Representatives Committee on Food and Drugs Administration and Control dated November 13, 2025, expressing concerns about NAFDAC’s intended enforcement steps and citing existing National Assembly resolutions on the issue.
The correspondence, referenced NASS/10/HR/CT.53/77 and signed by the committee’s Deputy Chairman, Hon. Uchenna Okonkwo, highlighted concerns over the proposed enforcement and pointed to prior legislative resolutions.
The Federal Government stated that it is reviewing legislative resolutions, public health considerations, economic implications and broader national interest factors surrounding the issue.
According to the statement, the National Security Adviser’s involvement underscored that the matter had moved beyond regulatory issues, warning that premature enforcement without coordinated policy rollout could destabilise communities, deepen unemployment and heighten security risks.
The government assured Nigerians and industry stakeholders that a final decision would be announced after consultations and inter-agency coordination, in the interest of public health, economic stability and national security.
Recall that the Director-General of the National Agency for Food, Drugs Administration and Control, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, recently stated that sachet alcohol packaging had contributed to rising alcohol abuse in the country.