The Federal Government has ordered the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to suspend all enforcement actions relating to the proposed ban on sachet alcohol and 200ml PET-bottle alcoholic products.
In a statement issued on Wednesday in Abuja, the Special Adviser on Public Affairs to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Terrence Kuanum, directed the agency to immediately halt the sealing of factories and warehouses in connection with the contentious policy.
The order follows a joint intervention by the Office of the SGF and the Office of the National Security Adviser, which raised concerns about the security implications of continued enforcement in the absence of a fully implemented 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 said.
Mr Kuanum said that although the National Alcohol Policy had been signed by the Federal Ministry of Health in line with the directive of President Bola Tinubu, both offices insisted that NAFDAC must refrain from enforcement until the policy is fully operational and further guidance is issued.
The government listed measures that must be suspended, including factory shutdowns, warehouse sealing and public emphasis on the ban, warning that the continued sealing of warehouses and what it described as a “de facto ban” on sachet alcohol products, without a harmonised policy framework, was causing economic disruptions and posing security risks.
According to the statement, the actions had adversely impacted jobs, supply chains and informal distribution networks nationwide.
Kuanum noted that the position reinforced an earlier directive issued by the SGF’s office in December 2025, which had similarly suspended all enforcement actions pending stakeholder consultations and a final decision.
He also referenced a letter dated November 13, 2025, from the House of Representatives Committee on Food and Drugs Administration and Control, signed by Deputy Chairman Hon. Uchenna Okonkwo, which raised concerns over NAFDAC’s proposed enforcement and highlighted existing National Assembly resolutions on the matter.
The Federal Government said it was reviewing legislative resolutions, public health considerations, economic implications and national interest factors surrounding the issue. It added that the involvement of the National Security Adviser underscored the wider implications, cautioning that premature enforcement without a coordinated policy framework could destabilise communities, exacerbate unemployment and trigger security challenges.
The statement assured Nigerians and industry stakeholders that a final decision would be communicated after comprehensive consultations and inter-agency coordination, in the interest of public health, economic stability and national security.
