The Federal Government has instructed the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control to halt all enforcement actions connected to the planned ban on sachet alcohol and 200ml PET bottle alcoholic products.
The government also cautioned the agency to stop sealing factories and warehouses over the matter with immediate effect.
The directive was contained in a statement released on Wednesday in Abuja by the Special Adviser on Public Affairs to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Terrence Kuanum.
Kuanum explained that the decision followed a joint intervention by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the Office of the National Security Adviser, which expressed concerns about the security implications of continued enforcement without a fully operational National Alcohol Policy.
“Accordingly, 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 issuance of a final directive,” the statement read.
He said that although the National Alcohol Policy had been approved by the Federal Ministry of Health in line with the directive of President Bola Tinubu, both offices maintained that NAFDAC must suspend all enforcement actions until the policy is fully implemented and further instructions are given.
The government said such actions include shutting down factories, sealing warehouses and placing public emphasis on the sachet alcohol ban.
According to the statement, the ongoing sealing of warehouses and what it described as a “de facto ban” on sachet alcohol products, in the absence of a unified policy framework, was already disrupting the economy and creating security concerns, especially due to its effects on jobs, supply chains and informal distribution networks across the country.
Kuanum said the stance reaffirmed an earlier directive issued by the SGF’s office in December 2025, which suspended all actions linked to the proposed ban pending consultations and a final resolution.
He added that the SGF’s office had also received a letter from the House of Representatives Committee on Food and Drugs Administration and Control dated November 13, 2025, expressing concerns over NAFDAC’s planned enforcement actions and referring to existing resolutions of the National Assembly on the matter.
The letter, referenced NASS/10/HR/CT.53/77 and signed by the Deputy Chairman of the committee, Hon. Uchenna Okonkwo, raised concerns over NAFDAC’s proposed enforcement actions and drew attention to existing resolutions of the National Assembly on the issue.
The Federal Government said it was assessing legislative resolutions, public health issues, economic consequences and national interest considerations surrounding the issue.
The government said the involvement of the National Security Adviser indicated that the matter had moved beyond regulatory concerns, warning that early enforcement without coordinated policy implementation could disrupt communities, increase unemployment and create security challenges.
It assured Nigerians and industry stakeholders that a final decision would be announced after consultations and inter-agency coordination, in the interest of public health, economic stability and national security.
