FG directs NAFDAC to suspend sachet alcohol ban

The Federal Government has directed the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, to suspend all enforcement activities linked to the planned ban on sachet alcohol and 200ml PET bottle alcoholic drinks.

The government also warned the agency to immediately stop sealing factories and warehouses over the matter.

The directive was made public 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 said the order 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 raised concerns over the security implications of continued enforcement in the absence of a fully implemented 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 read.

He said although the National Alcohol Policy had been signed by the Federal Ministry of Health in line with the directive of President Bola Tinubu, both offices insisted that NAFDAC must refrain from all enforcement measures until the policy is fully implemented and further directives are issued.

The government said such measures include factory shutdowns, warehouse sealing and public emphasis on the sachet alcohol ban.

According to the statement, 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 causing economic disruptions and posing security risks, particularly due to its impact on jobs, supply chains and informal distribution networks nationwide.

Kuanum said the position reinforced an earlier directive issued by the SGF’s office in December 2025, which suspended all actions relating to the proposed ban pending consultations and a final decision.

He added that the SGF’s office had also received a letter from the House of Representatives Committee on Food and Drugs Administration and Control dated November 13, 2025, raising concerns over NAFDAC’s proposed enforcement actions and referencing existing resolutions of the National Assembly on the issue.

The letter, referenced NASS/10/HR/CT.53/77 and signed by the Deputy Chairman of the committee, Hon. Uchenna Okonkwo, raised concerns over NAFDAC’s proposed enforcement actions and drew attention to existing resolutions of the National Assembly on the issue.

The Federal Government said it was reviewing legislative resolutions, public health considerations, economic implications and national interest factors surrounding the matter.

The government said the involvement of the National Security Adviser showed that the issue had gone beyond regulatory concerns, warning that premature enforcement without coordinated policy implementation could destabilise communities, worsen unemployment and trigger security challenges.

It 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.

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