FG directs NAFDAC to halt sachet alcohol ban

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

The directive also instructed the agency to immediately halt the sealing of factories and warehouses linked to the issue.
This was disclosed in a statement issued 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 the statement, the decision followed a joint intervention by the Office of the SGF and the Office of the National Security Adviser, which raised concerns about the security implications of continuing enforcement in the absence of a fully implemented National Alcohol Policy. As a result, all actions, decisions and enforcement measures related to the sachet alcohol ban are to remain suspended pending final consultations, full implementation of the policy and the issuance of further directives.

Kuanum noted that while the National Alcohol Policy has been signed by the Federal Ministry of Health in line with the directive of President Bola Tinubu, both offices maintained that NAFDAC must refrain from enforcement until the policy is fully operational.

The government said the suspended measures include factory shutdowns, warehouse sealing and public actions emphasising the ban. It warned that ongoing closures and what it described as a de facto ban, without a harmonised policy framework, were already causing economic disruption and creating security risks by affecting jobs, supply chains and informal distribution networks across the country.

The statement added that the directive reaffirmed an earlier instruction issued by the SGF’s office in December 2025, which halted all actions on the proposed ban pending consultations and a final decision.

Kuanum also 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, expressing concerns over NAFDAC’s planned enforcement actions and drawing attention to existing resolutions of the National Assembly on the matter.

The Federal Government said it is reviewing legislative resolutions, public health considerations, economic implications and broader national interest issues surrounding the policy.

It further noted that the involvement of the National Security Adviser underscored that the matter had moved beyond regulatory concerns, cautioning that premature enforcement without coordinated policy implementation could destabilise communities, worsen unemployment and heighten security challenges.

The government assured Nigerians and industry stakeholders that a final decision would be communicated after consultations and inter-agency coordination, in line with public health goals, economic stability and national security interests.