The President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government has announced the commencement of a nationwide sensitisation drive to reinforce the outright ban on the manufacture, sale and distribution of sachet-packaged alcohol, describing the move as a strategic intervention to safeguard public health and national stability.
The disclosure was made on March 3, 2026, during a joint press briefing convened by the National Orientation Agency (NOA), National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC).
The agencies raised alarm over the growing accessibility of alcohol to underage persons, warning that the trend poses a clear and present danger to public health, safety and social order.
Citing findings from a recent survey conducted by NAFDAC in collaboration with the Distillers and Blenders Association of Nigeria (DIBAN), regulators revealed that 54.3 per cent of underage respondents admitted purchasing alcohol themselves from retail outlets. The data further showed that 48 per cent accessed alcohol packaged in sachets and small PET bottles—formats described as inexpensive, portable and dangerously convenient.
The agencies said the statistics underscore the urgent need for coordinated regulatory action to reverse what they termed a disturbing trajectory.
Addressing journalists, the Director-General of NOA, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, clarified that the policy is not designed to stifle legitimate enterprise but to insulate minors from exposure to alcohol. He stressed that children remain the most vulnerable demographic in the value chain of alcohol misuse.
“This is not an economic clampdown,” he said in essence, “but a moral and public health imperative.”
Presenting the technical report, the Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, warned that binge drinking, addiction and associated drug-related vices are escalating among underage persons. She called on the National Assembly and relevant ministries to provide legislative and institutional backing to strengthen enforcement mechanisms.
Also speaking at the briefing, the Executive Vice Chairman of FCCPC, Mr. Tunji Bello, who was represented by the Commission’s Director of Corporate Affairs, Mr. Ondaje Ijagwu, assured Nigerians that the Commission is fully committed to deploying its consumer protection mandate to curb exploitative distribution patterns fueling youth access to alcohol.
NAFDAC had initially announced plans in December 2018 to phase out sachet and small-volume alcohol packaging, with full enforcement scheduled to commence in 2024. The renewed inter-agency collaboration signals a consolidation phase—moving from policy pronouncement to robust public engagement and compliance monitoring.
With this coordinated push, regulators appear determined to recalibrate the market architecture of alcohol distribution—prioritising child protection over convenience commerce. The message from government is clear: accessibility must not eclipse accountability.
Credit: Yunus Olawale from Citizen FM Abuja
