The Federal Government has directed the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to suspend all enforcement activities related to the proposed ban on sachet alcohol and 200ml PET bottle alcoholic beverages.
In a statement released Wednesday in Abuja, Terrence Kuanum, special adviser on public affairs to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), also instructed the agency to immediately stop sealing factories and warehouses connected to the ban.
According to Kuanum, the directive followed a joint intervention by the offices of the SGF and the National Security Adviser (NSA), both of which raised concerns 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.
Kuanum explained that while the National Alcohol Policy had been signed by the Federal Ministry of Health in line with President Bola Tinubu’s directive, NAFDAC must refrain from enforcement actions until the policy is fully operational and further instructions are issued. Such measures include shutting down factories, sealing warehouses, and publicly enforcing the ban.
The government noted that continued sealing of warehouses and what it described as a “de facto ban” on sachet alcohol was causing economic disruptions and raising security concerns, particularly due to its effects on jobs, supply chains, and informal distribution networks nationwide.
This directive reaffirms a previous instruction from the SGF’s office in December 2025, which had paused all steps related to the proposed ban pending consultations and a final resolution.
Kuanum also revealed 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.
The letter, signed by the committee’s Deputy Chairman, Hon. Uchenna Okonkwo, referenced existing National Assembly resolutions and expressed concerns over NAFDAC’s planned enforcement actions.
The federal government said it is reviewing legislative resolutions, public health considerations, economic impacts, and broader national interest issues surrounding the matter.
The involvement of the NSA, it added, underscores that the issue goes beyond regulatory compliance, 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, with public health, economic stability, and national security as guiding priorities.
