The Director General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, has strongly defended the enforcement of Nigeria’s ban on sachet alcohol.
She said the measure is necessary to protect children and vulnerable groups from harmful exposure, even if it affects commercial interests.
Speaking on Arise TV on Friday, Adeyeye explained that the ban followed years of dialogue with manufacturers, regulatory extensions, and mounting evidence of underage access to high‑concentration alcohol products.
“So 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,” she said.
Adeyeye stressed that NAFDAC is not banning alcohol outright but restricting sales in small, easily concealable packages. “We are not banning alcohol. We approve alcohol in different packages. It is only in small packages that we are banning,” she added.
Policy Timeline and Enforcement
Adeyeye traced the policy back to 2018, when NAFDAC first raised concerns about sachet alcohol containing between 43% and 45% alcohol.
“That can be easily squeezed into the pocket of a primary school, secondary school child,” she noted.
An agreement was reached with industry stakeholders under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Health, granting manufacturers five years to reorganize their businesses.
“We all signed that by, after five years, they will not sell alcohol in sachets,” Adeyeye said.
The initial moratorium expired on 31 January 2024, but enforcement was suspended after interventions from lawmakers and industry groups, leading to an additional one‑year extension.
“The Minister called me and said there had been some discussion, we should give one year moratorium, an extra one year above the five years that we have given before. And that one year expired December 2025,” she explained.
Adeyeye confirmed that enforcement resumed after the Senate directed NAFDAC to act, despite opposition from manufacturers seeking further extensions.
Warning Labels and International Commitments
The NAFDAC boss rejected arguments that warning labels could prevent underage drinking, questioning their practicality in Nigeria.
“Do not use under 18. Do not use in Nigeria, are we kidding ourselves? Are we really kidding ourselves? In Nigeria? Who is going to enforce?” she asked.
She reiterated that the policy aligns with Nigeria’s international commitments.
“In 2010, Nigeria signed an agreement, World Health Assembly, 2010, 193 countries signed it that we will not make alcohol to be easily accessible to vulnerable populations,” Adeyeye said.
On concerns about continued product registration during the moratorium, she explained that the agency was complying with legislative directives at the time.
“We were honouring the moratorium, the extended moratorium that was given by registering within a period,” she said.
Adeyeye admitted lessons had been learned. “I think we are learning our lessons now that we shouldn’t have even listened or register products, a product at that particular period,” she added.
Health Risks and Industry Pushback
Adeyeye dismissed reports of a court injunction halting enforcement, saying NAFDAC had not been formally served. “NAFDAC has not been served. If we have been served, I have not been given that,” she said.
She maintained that the agency was acting in line with legislative authority. “The Senate gave us the order to resume enforcement,” she stated.
Addressing calls to reduce alcohol concentration instead of banning sachet packaging, Adeyeye said the issue was about accessibility and concealment. “Actually, it is scientifically possible. It is not just the volume. It is the pack size,” she explained.
She cited firsthand accounts from school administrators to illustrate the scale of the problem. “The principal said that in his school, a student said that he cannot study for exam without a sachet alcohol,” Adeyeye revealed.
She warned of long‑term health consequences for children exposed to alcohol early. “We are making our children addicts. Addicts. Because you are frying your liver slowly with alcohol over time,” she cautioned.
Responding to claims that NAFDAC shut down companies, Adeyeye clarified that enforcement targeted production lines, not entire businesses. “Lines have been shut down… We are shutting down lines,” she said.
She dismissed allegations that the agency engages manufacturers in monologue rather than dialogue, noting that regular meetings had been held. “We were having regular meetings, quarterly meetings with MAN,” she explained.
Adeyeye accused industry groups of prioritizing profit over public health. “So it is on their side that they are all about money, not about health,” she concluded.
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