The Network for Health Equity and Development (NHED) and Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) have endorsed the decision by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to completely phase out the production and sale of alcoholic beverages in sachets, PET bottles, and glass bottles of 200ml and below from December 2025.
The organisations described the move as a critical public health intervention aimed at protecting Nigeria’s children, youths, and other vulnerable populations.
They argued that the widespread marketing and low-cost packaging of these products had made highly potent alcohol easily accessible, contributing to addiction, social disorder, road accidents, and non-communicable diseases.
Dr. Jerome Mafeni, NHED’s Technical Director, said protecting lives must take priority over profits. “The long-term social and economic costs of alcohol-related harm far outweigh short-term gains. Nigeria faces rising alcohol-related violence, healthcare costs, addiction among youths, and reduced productivity, disproportionately affecting poor and marginalised communities targeted by sachet alcohol products,” he said.
Akinbode Oluwafemi added that government regulation to safeguard public health should not be negotiable. “NAFDAC’s decision reflects global best practices. No responsible public health agency would permit the marketing of products designed for unrestricted and underage consumption,” he said, urging ministries and regulatory bodies to support the agency and ensure smooth implementation of the ban.
Both NHED and CAPPA called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the National Assembly to resist corporate pressure and prevent any attempt to suspend or weaken the policy. They also recommended additional measures, including stricter marketing regulations, clear labelling, taxation, and nationwide sensitisation campaigns to reduce alcohol-related harm.
“NAFDAC’s ban is the right policy at the right time. NHED and CAPPA stand resolutely with the agency and all Nigerians committed to a healthier, safer, and more responsible society,” the statement concluded.
NHED and CAPPA also condemned claims by the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) that the ban could trigger job losses and reduce investment, describing the assertions as inflated scare tactics designed to prioritise corporate profits over public health.
“The manufacturing process of these products is largely mechanised and requires relatively limited human effort; the claims of massive job losses are contrived,” the organisations said. “We reject MAN’s claim that the ban will result in a loss of over N1.9 trillion in investment and lead to the retrenchment of over 500,000 workers. These figures are unverifiable and misleading.”