Group Backs Sachet Alcohol Ban, Says Public Health Must Come First

The Network for Health Equity and Development (NHED) and Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) have declared support for the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) as it moves to enforce its ban on sachet alcohol and small-sized alcoholic beverages by December 2025.

In a joint statement, the organisations described the ban as “long overdue” and essential to protecting children, young people, and vulnerable communities from the dangers of cheap, high-concentration alcohol.

NAFDAC’s directive prohibits the production and sale of alcohol sold in sachets, PET bottles, and glass bottles of 200ml and below, products that the agencies said have been aggressively marketed to youths and made dangerously affordable, sometimes selling for as low as N100.

NHED and CAPPA criticised manufacturers for resisting the policy, despite having a multi-year phase-out period since NAFDAC first announced the ban in 2024. They accused some companies of continuing production in defiance of the directive, while deploying what they described as “scare tactics” to pressure government into reversing the policy.

The groups dismissed claims by the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) that the ban could trigger losses of ₦1.9 trillion and lead to over 500,000 job cuts. According to the statement, the figures were “inflated, unverifiable, and consistent with global tactics deployed by alcohol and tobacco industries whenever regulations threaten their profits.”

They also argued that the production process for sachet and small-sized alcohol is largely mechanised, making massive job losses unlikely.

NHED’s Technical Director, Dr. Jerome Mafeni, stressed that the social and economic burdens of alcohol abuse far outweigh any short-term profit manufacturers are defending.

“The country is already dealing with increased alcohol-related violence, reduced productivity, rising healthcare costs, and a growing addiction crisis among young people,” he said. “These harms disproportionately affect poor and marginalised communities, who sachet alcohol products specifically target.”

He added that it was unacceptable for minors to access potent alcoholic drinks with such ease.
Executive Director of CAPPA, Akinbode Oluwafemi, noted that NAFDAC’s decision aligns with global practices aimed at curbing harmful drinking patterns. He commended the agency for “standing firmly on the side of science and public health,” urging other government institutions, including the Ministries of Health and Finance, the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), and the National Orientation Agency (NOA) to support full implementation.

NHED and CAPPA also called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the National Assembly not to bow to pressure from industry actors.

“The well-being of over 200 million citizens must not be sacrificed at the altar of corporate profit,” they warned.

Beyond the ban, the groups urged government to introduce additional measures such as increased alcohol taxation, stricter marketing restrictions to shield children, clear labelling standards, and sustained public sensitisation on alcohol-related harm.

They insisted that long-term losses from alcohol misuse, including healthcare strain, reduced economic productivity, family breakdowns, and premature deaths, outweigh any economic benefits sustained from the continued sale of the banned products.