The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has defended its enforcement of the sachet alcohol ban, with Director General Professor Mojisola Adeyeye warning that easy access to these products is fueling addiction among Nigerian children.
Speaking on ARISE Television Friday, Adeyeye said public health must take priority over commercial interests when it comes to protecting minors.
“We are making our children addicts,” she declared, accusing manufacturers of prioritizing profits over health concerns. “It is on their side that they are all about money, not about health. We are about health and good investments… But we cannot sacrifice our children on the altar of trade.”
Adeyeye clarified that NAFDAC is not banning alcohol outright, but specifically targeting small packages that minors can easily purchase and conceal.
“We are not banning alcohol. We approve alcohol in different packages. It is only in small packages that we are banning,” she explained.
The policy stems from concerns raised in 2018 when NAFDAC discovered some sachet alcohol products contained 43 to 45 percent alcohol concentration. “That can be easily squeezed into the pocket of a primary school, secondary school child,” Adeyeye noted.
According to her, manufacturers agreed in a deal supervised by the Federal Ministry of Health to phase out sachet packaging within five years. “We all signed that by, after five years, they will not sell alcohol in sachets.”
Though the original deadline expired in January 2024, enforcement was postponed following interventions from lawmakers and industry players, granting an additional year. That extension ended in December 2025.
“The Senate gave us the order to resume enforcement,” Adeyeye said, despite renewed pressure from manufacturers seeking further delays.
She dismissed suggestions that warning labels could solve underage drinking problems. “Do not use under 18. Do not use in Nigeria, are we kidding ourselves? Who is going to enforce?” she questioned.
Adeyeye emphasized that the policy fulfills Nigeria’s international commitments. “In 2010, Nigeria signed an agreement that we will not make alcohol easily accessible to vulnerable populations.”
The NAFDAC chief denied reports that the agency had been served with a court injunction halting enforcement and clarified that only affected production lines—not entire companies—were being shut down.
Warning of long-term health consequences, she said early alcohol exposure causes serious damage. “Because you are frying your liver slowly with alcohol over time,” Adeyeye cautioned.
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