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By Tracy Moses
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has explained the reasons behind its enforcement of the ban on alcoholic beverages sold in sachets and in PET or glass bottles below 200 millilitres, citing serious public health concerns, particularly the protection of children.
In a video shared on Tuesday via the agency’s official X (formerly Twitter) handle, the Director-General of the agency, Mojisola Adeyeye, said the policy was not targeted at adult consumption but aimed at preventing minors from early exposure to high-concentration alcohol.
“I’m not opposed to the use of alcohol for adults. Adults’ physiological makeup is more mature and better able to handle alcohol.
“But the point is, children are not small adults. Children are children. Their physiology is meant for children,” Adeyeye said.
She explained that early exposure to alcohol poses significant risks to children, whose organs and bodily systems are still developing.
“When a child consumes alcohol or starts consuming alcohol early, their systems are exposed to alcohol at a stage they cannot handle. This early exposure causes damage to their physiological systems,” she said.
Adeyeye also warned that alcoholic drinks sold in sachets often contain dangerously high concentrations of alcohol, making them more harmful than conventional beverages.
“Some sachet alcohol contains as much as 43 per cent alcohol. Drinking just two sachets is far more potent than drinking beer, which contains about six to eight per cent alcohol. These products are cheap, highly concentrated, and easily accessible,” she explained.
Tracing the background of the policy, the NAFDAC boss said discussions around the ban began several years ago with relevant stakeholders, adding that enforcement had been delayed to accommodate economic and employment concerns.
“I joined the National Action Committee Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NABLAC) in 2017. At the time, we agreed that we could not impose an outright ban immediately and proposed reducing alcohol concentration.
However, in 2018, manufacturers petitioned the Ministry of Health, leading to several meetings,” she said.
According to Adeyeye, the Ministry of Health eventually approved a five-year moratorium in 2018 to allow producers to reassess their business models.
“The agreement was clear: at the end of five years, there would be no sachet alcohol or alcohol in PET bottles below 200ml. NABLAC, the Ministry of Health, D-BAN, and AFBT all signed this agreement,” she stated.
She disclosed that although enforcement commenced on February 1, 2024, it was temporarily suspended to allow further consultations.
Subsequently, the Minister of Health approved an additional one-year moratorium, extending the timeline to December 2025.
“We are currently operating within that extension, and enforcement will fully take effect by December 2025,” Adeyeye said.
Addressing concerns about adult consumption, the NAFDAC DG cautioned that sachet alcohol poses risks even to adults due to its ease of access and potential for misuse.
“Even for adults, consuming alcohol while working can be dangerous. Sachet alcohol is too easily accessible, and that increases the likelihood of abuse,” she said.
The enforcement of the ban has, however, attracted protests from civil society organisations and workers in companies producing sachet alcohol, who warned of potential economic consequences.
Employees under the Food, Beverages and Tobacco Senior Staff Association and the National Union of Food, Beverages and Tobacco Employees claimed during protests at NAFDAC’s Lagos office that no fewer than five million Nigerians could be affected directly and indirectly by the ban.
Adeyeye, however, maintained that the policy is rooted in science, public health, and global best practices.
“In 2010, the World Health Assembly resolved that countries should make alcohol inaccessible to children. Over 183 countries, including Nigeria, signed that agreement. This is a global public health standard,” she said.
Reaffirming NAFDAC’s position, she stressed that the protection of children remains paramount.
“Children cannot handle alcohol the way adults can. Their organs are still developing. Adults can make their own choices, but children cannot. That is why we are enforcing this ban,” she said.