A civic group, Concerned Citizens for Change, has accused the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) of high-handedness in its approach to enforcing the ban on sachet alcohol.
The group said the agency ignored established consultative processes and acted without full stakeholder engagement.
NAFDAC announced that it had begun enforcement of a ban on the production and sale of alcoholic beverages in sachets and small bottles below 200ml in line with a directive from the Senate aimed at reducing harmful alcohol consumption, especially among young people.
The move came after years of debate and a vaccine resolve to phase out sachet alcohol under public health objectives. Stakeholders had previously taken part in consultative meetings coordinated by the Federal Ministry of Health as part of a planned National Alcohol Policy.
Addressing a press conference in Abuja on Friday, the group said reports attributed to NAFDAC leadership suggesting enforcement had begun contradicting the inclusive process earlier agreed by stakeholders.
The group’s representative, Comrade Oluoha Godwin Chukwudi, said the enforcement claims appeared to ignore months of consultations involving industry players, regulators and lawmakers.
Chukwudi said a stakeholders’ meeting organised by the Ministry of Health, with input from members of the House of Representatives, had produced resolutions including a one-year extension for implementing the policy and a multi-sectoral approach under the National Alcohol Policy.
He said NAFDAC’s enforcement announcement was inconsistent with those outcomes.
The group noted that independent studies have challenged claims that sachet alcohol consumption directly leads to widespread underage abuse.
It added that industry operators have invested over ₦1 billion in campaigns to promote responsible drinking.
Concerned Citizens for Change warned that enforcing the ban could have broad economic impact, including potential losses of more than ₦1.9 trillion in investments in the beverage sector, retrenchment of over 500,000 direct workers, and disruptions for about five million indirect jobs linked to the alcohol value chain.
The group said such consequences would strain manufacturing growth and entrepreneurship at a time when the Nigerian economy is beginning to show signs of gradual recovery.
The group urged the Minister and Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare to formally endorse and implement the validated National Alcohol Policy that stems from broad stakeholder input.
It also called on the Senate to revisit the matter to ensure comprehensive stakeholder consultation similar to earlier engagements.
Concerned Citizens for Change asked the Senate to rescind any directive authorising enforcement of the ban and to restrain NAFDAC from proceeding with implementation until the National Alcohol Policy is fully rolled out.
In a strongly worded statement, the group accused the NAFDAC Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye, of acting without due process and inconsistent with the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Concerned Citizens for Change ended the press briefing with a call for dialogue, transparency and strict adherence to due process to resolve the controversy around sachet alcohol regulation.
It said further engagement with lawmakers, government ministries and industry stakeholders is necessary before the enforcement proceeds.
