“NAFDAC Sachet Alcohol Ban Wins Support from Ghana, Uganda Health Groups”
Nigeria Updates reports:
“Nigeria’s ban on sachet and small-volume alcoholic drinks has received fresh backing from public health groups in Ghana and Uganda.
“The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) began enforcing the nationwide ban on 22 January 2026, targeting alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets and bottles under 200ml.
“In a letter addressed to NAFDAC’s Director-General, the Uganda Alcohol Policy Alliance (UAPA) described the enforcement as decisive. The letter was signed by its Chairperson, Juliet Namukasa.
“She said the renewed enforcement ‘demonstrates a commitment to evidence-based regulation, prioritizing people before profits.’
“Namukasa added that sachet alcohol formats are ‘inexpensive, easily concealed, and widely accessible,’ factors she said fuel underage drinking and alcohol-related harm.
“In Ghana, the Vision for Sustainable Accelerated Development (VAST-Ghana) called on its government to adopt similar measures. In a press statement dated 6 February 2026, the group commended NAFDAC for enforcing the ban despite what it described as strong opposition from the alcohol industry.”
“FG Suspends Sachet Alcohol Ban, Orders NAFDAC to Halt Enforcement”
Daily Post Nigeria reports:
“The Federal Government has ordered the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, to immediately halt all enforcement actions regarding the ban on sachet alcohol and 200ml PET bottle products.
“The offices of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, OSGF, and National Security Adviser, ONSA, in a joint intervention, cited grave concerns over economic stability and potential security threats as reasons for the directive.
“According to the statement signed by Terrence Kuanum, Special Adviser on Public Affairs to the SGF, the government clarified that while the National Alcohol Policy has been signed by the Federal Ministry of Health under the direction of President Bola Tinubu, NAFDAC must refrain from sealing factories or warehouses until the policy is fully operationalized.
“The statement emphasized that the current ‘de facto banning’ of the products without a harmonized framework is creating significant disruptions.
“‘The continued sealing of warehouses and de facto banning of sachet alcohol products is already creating economic disruptions and poses a growing security threat, particularly given the impact on employment, supply chains, and informal distribution networks across the country,’ the statement warned.”
“No Directive to Suspend Sachet Alcohol Ban, Says NAFDAC”
The Punch reports:
“The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has refuted a media report alleging that the Federal Government directed it to suspend enforcement actions on the regulation of sachet alcohol and 200ml PET bottle alcoholic products.
“In a statement on Wednesday, the agency described the publication as false and misleading, stressing that it had not received any official communication from the Federal Government ordering a halt to its regulatory activities.
“Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, said the agency operated strictly within its statutory mandate and in line with duly communicated Federal Government policies.
“‘The said publication is false, misleading, and does not reflect any official communication received by the Agency from the Federal Government. At no time has the Agency received any formal directive ordering the suspension of its regulatory or enforcement activities in respect of sachet alcohol products,’ Adeyeye said.
“She reiterated that NAFDAC remains committed to safeguarding public health, ensuring regulatory compliance, and carrying out its responsibilities transparently and in accordance with established laws and due process.”
Other Articles on This Topic
- FG orders NAFDAC to suspend sachet alcohol ban enforcement (The Punch)
- FG orders NAFDAC to halt sachet alcohol ban enforcement citing economic, security risks (Vanguard)
- NAFDAC sachet alcohol ban earns more accolades from African groups (EnviroNews Nigeria)
- Uncertainty on the streets over Nigeria’s sachet alcohol ban (DW)
- Sachet alcohol ban rushed, harmful to economy – CSO (Guardian Nigeria)
- Prioritising Profits Over Health: Reps on NAFDAC’s Endless Wars (Guardian Nigeria)
- Cheap Sachets, Easy Access: How Nigerian Minors Are Getting Alcohol (Radio Nigeria Lagos)
- Video report on Nigeria sachet alcohol ban (YouTube)
Assessment
A remarkable power struggle is unfolding within the Nigerian government over sachet alcohol.
On February 11, the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation issued a public directive ordering NAFDAC to halt enforcement – but within hours, NAFDAC Director-General Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye issued a counter-statement calling the report “false and misleading” and declaring that the agency has received no formal directive to suspend its regulatory activities.
The intervention from the Office of the Secretary to the Government echoes alcohol industry talking points almost verbatim, citing “economic disruptions” and “security threats” without addressing the public health rationale for removing ultra-cheap alcohol from the market. This framing aligns precisely with the coordinated campaign documented by Big Alcohol Exposed: inflated job loss claims from the Food, Beverage and Tobacco Senior Staff Association (FOBTOB) – whose membership includes Nigerian subsidiaries of Diageo, Heineken, and AB InBev – claiming 5.5 million jobs at risk without providing methodology; identical talking points from the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN); and mobilisation of “Stand Up Nigeria,” identified by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace as part of Nigeria’s “fake civil society” ecosystem.
The public health rationale the Secretary to the Government of the Federation ignores is compelling. Sachet alcohol products are cheap – sometimes as little as ₦100 (about US$0.07) – easily concealed, and sold without age verification at roadside kiosks, motor parks, and near schools. Some products contain up to 43% alcohol by volume.
The pan-African solidarity from Uganda and Ghana makes NAFDAC’s defiance all the more significant. The Uganda Alcohol Policy Alliance (UAPA), chaired by Juliet Namukasa, has publicly commended NAFDAC’s enforcement as demonstrating “a commitment to evidence-based regulation, prioritising people before profits.” Ghana’s VAST-Ghana has called on its own Food and Drugs Authority to adopt similar measures. African alcohol policy advocates from Movendi International are actively supporting each other in the face of aggressive alcohol industry interference – and NAFDAC’s refusal to back down shows that support matters.
For alcohol policy advocates, Nigeria’s unfolding standoff offers critical lessons about institutional resilience. The aggressive, coordinated alcohol industry interference demonstrates the global playbook documented in the Movendi International 50-case mapping – exaggerated economic claims, mobilisation of front groups, and exploitation of political divisions between different arms of government. But NAFDAC’s commitment to protecting the health of Nigerians shows that regulatory agencies with strong leadership and clear public health mandates can resist political pressure. Sachet alcohol has been successfully banned in multiple African countries despite industry litigation and lobbying.