The Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation has demanded formal clarification from the Federal Ministry of Health on the planned December 31 enforcement of the ban on sachet alcoholic drinks and small-volume PET bottle spirits by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control.
The move follows renewed pressure from the National Assembly, which has repeatedly accused NAFDAC of pushing ahead with the ban despite earlier parliamentary resolutions asking the agency to suspend enforcement.
The request was conveyed in a December 1 correspondence signed by the Permanent Secretary (General Services), Mohammed Danjuma, and addressed to the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, and the NAFDAC Director-General.
Danjuma, writing on behalf of the SGF, Senator George Akume, referenced concerns from the House Committee on Food and Drugs Administration and Control, which insisted that resolutions passed since 2024 had not been honoured.
The committee’s letter, Ref. No. NASS/10/HR/CT.53/77, dated November 13, 2025, prompted the SGF’s demand for an updated government position.
“In reference to the attached letter dated November 13 from the House of Reps Committee on the above subject (Re: NAFDAC to enforce sachet alcohol ban from December 2025), we request your comments to enable the Secretary to the Government of the Federation to take an informed decision,” the letter read. “While we accept your prompt response, please accept the warm regards of the SGF.”
The PUNCH reported that the Senate had earlier approved a December 31, 2025 phase-out deadline after a motion by Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong (Cross River South), who said the timeline aligned with global standards and was intended to curb alcohol-related harm.
Ekpenyong recalled that in 2018, the Federal Ministry of Health, FCCPC, NAFDAC and industry stakeholders—including the Association of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Employers—signed a five-year MoU to eliminate sachet and mini-bottle alcohol due to increasing youth addiction linked to cheap, high-strength liquor.
He noted that manufacturers were granted a further one-year moratorium in 2024 to clear existing stock but said some producers were now lobbying for yet another extension.
“As the December 2025 deadline approaches, certain manufacturers are lobbying for another extension, thereby undermining the regulatory process and jeopardising public health,” he said. “We cannot continue to expose our youths to cheap, easily accessible alcohol that destroys lives and endangers public safety.”
The House of Representatives, however, advised in March 2024 that the ban be suspended, citing unresolved stakeholder concerns and the need for broader consultation.
But in its latest communication signed by Deputy Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Uchenna Harris Okonkwo, the House insisted NAFDAC had ignored the 2024 resolution and urged the Health Ministry to “use its good offices” to ensure compliance.
While awaiting the ministry’s response, the SGF maintained that the government required “a clear and informed position” before deciding whether to proceed with or halt the December 2025 enforcement.
With the SGF intervening and the National Assembly maintaining pressure, the dispute over the sachet alcohol ban appears set to resurface prominently in the coming legislative weeks.
Credit: punchng.com
