Abuja, Nigeria – The Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, has clarified that the recent ban on sachet alcohol is aimed at protecting children, not restricting alcohol consumption in general.
Speaking in an interview on Arise Television on Friday, Adeyeye explained that the move is part of NAFDAC’s mandate to regulate the manufacture, importation, distribution, and sale of alcohol among other regulated products.
“Some sachet alcohol beverages have an alcohol content of 44 percent and are small enough to be easily slipped into a student’s pocket,” she said. “Their accessibility posed serious risks to secondary school students.”
Adeyeye noted that the agency, in collaboration with manufacturers, the Ministry of Health, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), and the Association of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Employers (AFBTE), agreed on a five-year timeline to phase out sachet alcohol packaging.
She emphasized: “We’re not banning alcohol; we’re banning sachet alcohol packaging.”
The directive reflects growing concerns over the health and safety of minors and highlights the government’s commitment to responsible alcohol regulation.
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