The Federal Government has directed the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to suspend all enforcement activities connected to the proposed ban on sachet alcohol and 200ml PET bottle alcoholic beverages.
It also cautioned the agency to immediately cease sealing factories and warehouses over the matter.
The directive was conveyed 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.
Kuanum explained that the decision followed a joint intervention by the office of the SGF and the office of the national security adviser (NSA), both of which expressed concern about the security implications 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.
He noted that although the National Alcohol Policy had been signed by the Federal Ministry of Health in line with President Bola Tinubu’s directive, both offices maintained that NAFDAC must refrain from enforcement actions until the policy is fully operational and further instructions are issued.
Such actions, the government said, include shutting down factories, sealing warehouses, and publicly advancing the sachet alcohol ban.
The statement added that 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 leading to economic disruptions and creating security concerns, particularly due to its effects on jobs, supply chains, and informal distribution networks across the country.
Kuanum said this stance reaffirmed an earlier directive from the SGF’s office in December 2025, which had paused all steps related to the proposed ban pending consultations and a final resolution.
He further disclosed that the SGF’s office received a letter from the House of Representatives Committee on Food and Drugs Administration and Control dated November 13, 2025, expressing concerns over NAFDAC’s planned enforcement actions 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, highlighted concerns about NAFDAC’s proposed enforcement measures and pointed to prior legislative resolutions.
The federal government stated that it is currently reviewing legislative resolutions, public health considerations, economic impacts, and broader national interest issues surrounding the matter.
It also noted that the involvement of the National Security Adviser indicates the issue extends beyond regulatory concerns, warning that premature enforcement without coordinated policy implementation could destabilise communities, increase unemployment, and heighten security risks.
The government assured Nigerians and industry stakeholders that a final decision would be announced after comprehensive consultations and inter-agency coordination, in the interest of public health, economic stability, and national security.
