FG Enforces Sachet Alcohol Ban as Underage Abuse Hits 54%

FG Enforces Sachet Alcohol Ban as Underage Abuse Hits 54%

FELICIA ONAH, Abuja

The Federal Government has moved to fully enforce the ban on sachet and small-pack alcoholic drinks following alarming data showing that more than half of minors and underage persons in Nigeria have access to alcohol.

The enforcement drive, led by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) in collaboration with the National Orientation Agency (NOA) and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), was formally flagged off in Abuja as part of a renewed nationwide campaign against underage alcohol abuse.

Officials said the decision to resume strict enforcement followed the expiration of earlier moratoriums granted to manufacturers and clear directives from the Senate that no further extensions should be allowed.

Addressing stakeholders at the event, the Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye, said the action was necessary to protect Nigerian children from the growing threat of alcohol misuse.

“We are here for our children. We are here for the children of Nigeria,” she said, stressing that the enforcement is “in the interest of public health and the future of our nation.”

She explained that alcohol remains one of the most abused substances among young people, largely because of its affordability, easy availability and small packaging, which makes it simple to hide from parents and guardians.

According to findings from an independent nationwide survey conducted in 2021 across the six geopolitical zones, 54.3 per cent of minors and underage persons obtained alcohol independently, while nearly half purchased alcoholic drinks packaged in sachets and small PET bottles.

The study also showed that about half of Nigerian children consume alcohol, with many preferring sachets because they are cheap and easy to conceal. In some cases, children as young as nine years old were identified as consumers.

NAFDAC noted that some sachet alcohol products previously contained up to 50 per cent alcohol content; far higher than beer, which typically contains between six and eight per cent raising serious health concerns.

The NAFDAC boss maintained that restricting small and inexpensive alcohol packaging is a key step in reversing the trend.

“Our presence today is to ensure that the ban on alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets and small bottles of less than 200 millilitres remains in force,” she said.

Also speaking, the Director-General of NOA, Lanre Issa-Onilu, described the renewed campaign as a preventive measure designed to protect communities.

“For too long, sachet alcohol has been dangerously accessible. It is inexpensive. It is portable. It is easy to conceal,” he said.

He added that the campaign is not about punishment but about protection.

“This joint nationwide campaign is therefore not about restriction for its own sake. It is about protection. It is about safeguarding children and vulnerable populations,” the DG clarified.

Issa-Onilu said NOA would deploy its nationwide network across all 774 local government areas to sensitise communities, markets, schools, transport unions and religious institutions on the dangers of underage drinking and the need to comply with the ban.

The Federal Government urged parents, guardians, retailers and community leaders to support the enforcement process and discourage the sale and consumption of banned products.

Authorities insisted that protecting children from harmful substances is a shared responsibility and a critical step toward building a healthier and more secure nation.