FG orders NAFDAC to suspend action on sachet alcohol ban

The Federal Government has directed the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to immediately suspend all enforcement actions relating to the ban on sachet alcohol and 200ml PET bottle products.

The directive followed a joint intervention by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF) and the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), which raised concerns over the potential economic and security implications of continuing enforcement.

In a statement signed by Terrence Kuanum, Special Adviser on Public Affairs to the SGF, the government warned that enforcing the ban without fully implementing the National Alcohol Policy could destabilise communities, increase unemployment and trigger avoidable security challenges.

While noting that the National Alcohol Policy has been approved by the Federal Ministry of Health under the directive of President Bola Tinubu, the government clarified that NAFDAC must refrain from sealing factories and warehouses until the policy is fully operationalised.

The statement stressed that the ongoing “de facto ban” and sealing of warehouses are already causing significant economic disruptions, particularly affecting employment, supply chains and informal distribution networks nationwide.

“The continued sealing of warehouses and de facto banning of sachet alcohol products is creating economic disruptions and poses a growing security risk,” the statement said.

The government disclosed that the decision was partly influenced by a letter from the House of Representatives Committee on Food and Drugs Administration and Control dated November 13, 2025. The correspondence, signed by the Deputy Chairman, Uchenna Harris Okonkwo, referenced existing National Assembly resolutions cautioning against the proposed ban.

Reaffirming an earlier suspension announced in December 2025, the government said it would undertake further consultations to review legislative, public health and economic considerations before reaching a final decision.

“Accordingly, all actions, decisions or enforcement measures relating to the ongoing ban on sachet alcohol are hereby suspended pending final consultations, full implementation of the National Alcohol Policy, and the issuance of a final directive,” the statement concluded.