The Federal Government has directed NAFDAC, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, to immediately cease all enforcement efforts related to the prohibition of 200ml PET bottle products and sachet alcohol.
In a joint intervention, the National Security Adviser (ONS) and Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF) stated that the decision was necessary due to serious concerns about economic stability and possible security risks.
According to the statement, if enforcement is not stopped until the National Alcohol Policy is completely implemented, it may “destabilize communities, worsen unemployment, and trigger avoidable security challenges.”
The government explained in a statement signed by Terrence Kuanum, Special Adviser on Public Affairs to the SGF, that although the Federal Ministry of Health, acting under President Bola Tinubu’s direction, has signed the National Alcohol Policy, NAFDAC is not allowed to seal factories or warehouses until the policy is fully operationalized.
Significant difficulties are being caused by the items’ existing “de facto banning” in the absence of a unified framework, the statement underlined.
The statement cautioned that the ongoing warehouse closures and the de facto prohibition of sachet alcohol products are already causing economic disruptions and present an increasing security risk, especially considering the effects on jobs, supply chains, and unofficial distribution networks nationwide.
According to the statement, a letter dated November 13, 2025, from the House of Representatives Committee on Food and Drugs Administration and Control also had an impact on the decision.
The letter emphasized previous National Assembly resolutions that warned against the planned prohibition and was signed by Deputy Chairman Uchenna Harris Okonkwo.
A prior suspension imposed in December 2025 was reiterated in the announcement, which also said that before a final decision is made, legislative, public health, and economic concerns must be reviewed.
As a result, the statement stressed, “all actions, decisions, or enforcement measures relating to the ongoing ban on sachet alcohol are to be suspended pending the final consultations and implementation of the National Alcohol Policy and the awarding of a final directive.”
