The Federal Government has directed the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to immediately halt all enforcement actions linked to the proposed ban on sachet alcohol and 200ml PET bottle alcoholic products.
The directive, issued on Wednesday in Abuja, also warned NAFDAC to stop sealing factories and warehouses over the matter.
According to a statement by the Special Adviser on Public Affairs to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Terrence Kuanum, the order followed a joint intervention by the Office of the SGF and the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA). The intervention raised concerns about the security and economic implications of enforcing the ban without a fully implemented National Alcohol Policy.
Kuanum said all actions, decisions and enforcement measures relating to the sachet alcohol ban are to be suspended pending final consultations, full implementation of the National Alcohol Policy and the issuance of a final directive.
Although the National Alcohol Policy has been signed by the Federal Ministry of Health in line with President Bola Tinubu’s directive, the statement stressed that NAFDAC must refrain from enforcement until further notice. This includes factory shutdowns, warehouse sealing and public emphasis on the ban.
The Federal Government warned that the continued sealing of warehouses and what it described as a “de facto ban” were already disrupting the economy, threatening jobs, affecting supply chains and posing security risks, especially within informal distribution networks.
The SGF’s office noted that a similar directive suspending enforcement had earlier been issued in December 2025. It also disclosed receiving a letter from the House of Representatives Committee on Food and Drugs Administration and Control dated November 13, 2025, expressing concerns over NAFDAC’s actions and citing existing National Assembly resolutions on the issue.
The government said it is currently reviewing legislative resolutions, public health concerns, economic implications and national interest considerations before taking a final position.
It added that the involvement of the National Security Adviser underscored the seriousness of the matter, warning that premature enforcement without coordinated policy implementation could destabilise communities, worsen unemployment and create security challenges.
The government assured Nigerians and industry stakeholders that a final decision would be announced after consultations and inter-agency coordination.
NAFDAC Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, had earlier linked sachet alcohol packaging to rising alcohol abuse in the country.