The National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has hinted that the lifting of ban on sachet alcohol is only temporary and not in anyway permanent.
NAFDAC made this clarification on Monday through its Director of FCT Directorate, Mr Kenneth Azikiwe, during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria.
According to the agency, temporary lifting of the ban is necessary to give manufacturers and distributors of the product ample time to prepare ahead of full implementation of the ban which will commence after December 31, 2025.
“There is a ministerial lifting on the ban of sachet alcohol, but it is only temporary and will be reviewed by December 31, 2025,” Azikiwe said.
“After this date, the full enforcement of the ban will commence.
“The minister granted this temporary relief to allow manufacturers and regulators time to collaborate and ensure a more structured and effective implementation of the ban.”
Azikiwe advised the public not to give listening ears to fake news suggesting that the ban has been permanently lifted. He described such misinformation as the handiwork of purveyors of falsehood.
He also hinted that NAFDAC has commenced a robust public awareness campaign in all the thirty-six states of the federation, emphasising that public sensitisation is key to the success of the implementation of the ban.
“We have sensitised distributors and emphasised that alcohol should not be sold to individuals under the age of 18 — this is also clearly indicated on product labels,” he stated.
He further applauded the unflinching support the agency enjoyed from the Distillers and Beverages Association of Nigeria in its sensitisation campaign.
According to the NAFDAC official, all achohol products containing less than 200 millimeters will be out of market after December 31, 2025, as the agency is committed to cracking down on defaulters in the interest of the youth and public morality.
It would be recalled that NAFDAC had earlier, in 2023, announced a ban on sachet alcohol, hinging this move on the easy accessibility of the product for school children, teenagers and youths.
