The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has defended its ban on sachet alcohol and small PET bottle alcoholic drinks, saying the products became difficult to regulate and posed risks to public health and social stability in Nigeria.
NAFDAC Director-General, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, stated that the restriction was introduced to protect Nigerians, particularly young people, from the effects of excessive alcohol consumption and its associated consequences.
Adeyeye made the disclosure during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Wednesday, where she explained the agency’s position on the controversial regulation.
She said sachet alcohol was initially approved about three decades ago but later became difficult to control due to widespread availability and misuse.
“When you are doing something that is right, something that is going to safeguard the health of our people, something that is going to foster trade, you will step on toes and get pushback. We are surprised by the pushback,” Adeyeye stated.
The NAFDAC boss described the proliferation of sachet alcohol as a growing challenge, saying the agency acted after observing its impact on public health and the future of Nigerian children.
“This sachet alcohol was approved maybe 30 years ago, and when it was approved, I don’t think my predecessor who did the approval knew what was going to happen,” she said.
“But this monster became uncontrollable. This monster stood out to destroy the future of our workforce, of our children.”
Adeyeye said NAFDAC subsequently enforced the ban on alcohol products packaged in sachets and containers below 200 millilitres, adding that the agency took enforcement actions against some manufacturers.
“NAFDAC made sure that sachet alcohol less than 200ml is banned. We shut down the three major companies for three weeks and put some people behind bars,” she disclosed.
The agency’s decision, she noted, followed concerns over the effects of alcohol consumption on vital organs, including the brain, kidneys and liver.
Adeyeye said some manufacturers resisted the policy despite signing commitments not to produce alcohol in sachets or small PET bottles below the approved limit.
She explained that the National Alcohol Policy introduced by the Federal Ministry of Health also included restrictions on sachet alcohol and small-volume PET bottled alcoholic products.
“In Ibadan, some people came out, even after the National Alcohol Policy was launched by the Ministry of Health, and that alcohol policy includes a ban on sachet alcohol and alcohol in PET bottles less than 200 ml,” she stated.
The NAFDAC director-general further argued that excessive alcohol consumption had broader social consequences, including contributing to insecurity-related challenges.
“They are not seeing into the future that alcohol destroys the brain, it destroys the lungs, it destroys the kidneys, the liver; it encourages banditry,” she added.
The agency has maintained that the enforcement of the ban is part of broader efforts to regulate alcoholic beverages, protect public health and reduce harmful consumption patterns among Nigerians.
