The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has raised concerns over the widespread consumption of alcohol in Nigeria, linking indiscriminate use to banditry and warning of serious health consequences.
NAFDAC Director-General, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, made the remarks during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Wednesday.
Adeyeye warned that excessive alcohol consumption can harm vital organs, including the brain, kidneys and liver.
She also addressed the agency’s decision to restrict alcohol sold in small sachets and PET bottles, explaining that such products had been approved decades ago but eventually became difficult to regulate.
According to the NAFDAC boss, the agency’s decision to enforce the restriction has attracted opposition from some stakeholders. However, she said the priority remains protecting Nigerians, particularly children and future generations.
Her words, “You know, when you are doing something that is right, something that is going to safeguard the health of our people, something that is going to foster trade, you will step on toes and get pushback. We are surprised by the pushback.
“We have done a great deal over the last six months, or eight months, in terms of sachet alcohol. This sachet alcohol was approved maybe 30 years ago, and when it was approved, I don’t think my predecessor who did the approval knew what was going to happen.
“But this monster became uncontrollable. This monster stood out to destroy the future of our workforce, of our children.
“And what did NAFDAC do? NAFDAC made sure that sachet alcohol less than 200ml is banned,” the DG said. “We shut down the three major companies for three weeks and put some people behind bars. That, I believe, is not sitting well, but Nigeria is pleading for our own children. That is why the ban is now in place.”
NAFDAC Defends Alcohol Restrictions
Adeyeye explained that NAFDAC had required manufacturers to sign undertakings promising not to produce alcoholic drinks in sachets or small bottles containing less than 200ml.
However, she said the measure faced resistance from some manufacturers and other stakeholders.
“In Ibadan, some people came out, even after the National Alcohol Policy was launched by the Ministry of Health, and that alcohol policy includes a ban on sachet alcohol and alcohol in PET bottles less than 200 ml.
The NAFDAC chief maintained that the agency’s position is aimed at reducing harmful alcohol consumption and protecting public health, particularly among young Nigerians.
She said the enforcement of the restriction was necessary because of concerns over the growing accessibility of cheap, small-volume alcoholic drinks and their potential impact on society.
The agency’s warning comes amid continued debate over Nigeria’s alcohol regulations, with health authorities pushing for stronger measures to limit harmful consumption while manufacturers and other stakeholders continue to raise concerns about the economic implications of the restrictions.
