The Federal Government has ordered the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to suspend all enforcement actions related to the proposed ban on sachet alcohol and 200ml PET bottle alcoholic products.
The government also directed NAFDAC to immediately halt factory closures and warehouse sealing connected to the ban.
The directive was issued in Abuja on Wednesday by Terrence Kuanum, Special Adviser on Public Affairs to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation. According to Kuanum, the order 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 raised concerns about potential security risks of enforcing the ban before the National Alcohol Policy is fully implemented.
The statement reads:
“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.”
Kuanum added that although the Federal Ministry of Health has signed off on the National Alcohol Policy in line with directives from President Bola Tinubu, NAFDAC must refrain from enforcement until the policy is fully implemented and further instructions are issued.
The government emphasized that factory shutdowns, warehouse sealing, and public campaigns promoting the ban must also be suspended until the policy takes full effect.
