The Director General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Moji Adeyeye, reaffirmed that the ban on the sale and consumption of sachet alcoholic beverages in Nigeria remains in effect.
According to The PUNCh, Adeyeye disclosed this at a press briefing in Lagos, on Wednesday.
Adeyeye emphasized that, “The ban on sachet alcohol is a ministerial directive and the ban still remains until the ministers respond. The meeting last week Thursday is a continuation of the discussion. The outcome of the meeting is that the ministers should write a memo to the Speaker (of Reps) and the House (of Reps), and the Representative of the Speaker, Prof Jake Dan-Azumi then said we should continue the discussion after the recess of the House members in July. So, the discussion continues.”
Despite this, the deputy spokesman for the House of Representatives, Philip Agbese, announced last Friday that the House and NAFDAC had agreed to temporarily lift the ban on the sale and consumption of sachet alcoholic beverages.
Agbese said this temporary measure will remain in place until the economy recovers from its current challenges.
NAFDAC had initially begun enforcing the ban on February 1, 2024, targeting the importation, manufacture, distribution, sale, and use of alcoholic beverages in sachets, PET, and glass bottles of 200ml and below.
This decision stemmed from the recommendations of a committee comprising the Federal Ministry of Health, NAFDAC, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, and industry representatives from the Association of Food, Beverages and Tobacco Employers and the Distillers and Blenders Association of Nigeria, dating back to December 2018.
However, the enforcement of this ban has sparked significant opposition from distillers and labour unions, who argue that it could result in the loss of 500,000 jobs and jeopardize N800 billion in investments.
Medical experts have raised alarms, warning that lifting the ban could lead to severe health issues, including increased road traffic accidents, heightened risk of alcohol abuse, liver problems, heart-related issues, and various cancers.
