The Federal Government has ordered the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to halt all enforcement activities connected to the planned ban on sachet alcohol and alcoholic beverages packaged in 200ml PET bottles.
The government also directed the agency to immediately stop sealing factories and warehouses over the issue.
This was disclosed in a statement released in Abuja on Wednesday by Terrence Kuanum, Special Adviser on Public Affairs to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF).
According to Kuanum, the directive followed a joint intervention by the Office of the SGF and the Office of the National Security Adviser, which expressed concerns about possible security consequences if enforcement continues without a fully implemented National Alcohol Policy.
The statement noted that although the National Alcohol Policy has been signed by the Federal Ministry of Health in line with President Bola Tinubu’s directive, NAFDAC must suspend all actions related to the ban until consultations are concluded and the policy is fully implemented.
It added that continued enforcement measures—such as factory shutdowns, sealing of warehouses, and public emphasis on the ban—were already causing economic disruption and raising security risks, especially due to their effects on jobs, supply chains, and informal distribution networks across the country.
The Federal Government said the latest directive reinforces an earlier instruction issued by the SGF’s office in December 2025, which also suspended actions related to the proposed ban pending further consultations.
Kuanum further revealed that the SGF’s office received a letter from the House of Representatives Committee on Food and Drugs Administration and Control dated November 13, 2025, warning about NAFDAC’s enforcement plans and referencing existing National Assembly resolutions on the matter.
The government said it is currently reviewing all relevant factors, including legislative decisions, public health concerns, economic implications, and national interest considerations.
It stressed that the involvement of the National Security Adviser shows the issue has moved beyond regulation, warning that premature enforcement could worsen unemployment, destabilise communities, and trigger broader security challenges.
The Federal Government assured Nigerians and stakeholders that a final decision will be announced after consultations and inter-agency coordination, with the aim of balancing public health, economic stability, and national security.
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