The Federal Government has instructed the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to pause all enforcement activities linked to the proposed prohibition of sachet alcohol and 200ml PET bottle alcoholic drinks.
It also cautioned the agency against sealing factories and warehouses over the matter.
This directive was contained in a statement released 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 Kuanum, the decision followed a joint intervention by the Office of the SGF and the Office of the National Security Adviser, both of which raised concerns about the security consequences of continuing enforcement without 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.
ALSO READ
He explained that 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 suspend all enforcement actions until the policy is fully implemented and further instructions are issued.
The government listed such actions to include factory closures, sealing of warehouses, and public messaging that promotes the sachet alcohol ban.
The statement noted that the continued sealing of warehouses and what it described as a “de facto ban” on sachet alcohol products, in the absence of a unified policy framework, was already disrupting the economy and posing security concerns, particularly through its effects on employment, supply chains, and informal distribution networks across the country.
Kuanum said the directive reaffirmed an earlier order issued by the SGF’s office in December 2025, which suspended all actions on the proposed ban pending consultations and a final decision.
He added that the SGF’s office had also 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 proposed enforcement steps and referencing existing National Assembly resolutions on the issue.
The letter, referenced NASS/10/HR/CT.53/77 and signed by the committee’s Deputy Chairman, 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 currently reviewing legislative resolutions, public health concerns, economic implications, and national interest considerations surrounding the matter.
It noted that the involvement of the National Security Adviser showed the issue had moved beyond regulatory boundaries, warning that premature enforcement without coordinated policy implementation could destabilise communities, increase unemployment, and trigger security challenges.
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.
