Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, the Director General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), has defended the enforcement of the total ban on sachet alcohol, underscoring the importance of prioritizing the health and safety of children above economic gains from the trade.
In an interview on ARISE News on Friday, Adeyeye explained that the move to enforce the ban was the result of years of discussions with manufacturers, regulatory extensions, and increasing alarm over the accessibility of high- alcohol products to minors.
She made it clear that the ban intends to safeguard children rather than harm businesses. "It is on their side that they are all about money, not about health. We are about health and good investments… But we cannot sacrifice our children on the altar of trade," she stated.
Adeyeye highlighted that NAFDAC’s role includes regulating alcohol as a food product and stressed that they are not completely banning alcohol itself, but are restricting sales of alcohol in small, easily hidden packages.
"We are not banning alcohol. We approve alcohol in different packages. It is only in small packages that we are banning," she said.
She traced the issue back to 2018, when NAFDAC first flagged concerns regarding sachets containing alcohol concentrations between 43 percent and 45 percent.
"That can be easily squeezed into the pocket of a primary school, secondary school child," she added.
Adeyeye mentioned that an agreement was made with industry stakeholders, under the Federal Ministry of Health's supervision, allowing manufacturers five years to adapt their operations.
"We all signed that by, after five years, they will not sell alcohol in sachets," she explained.
Although the initial moratorium ended on January 31, 2024, its enforcement was postponed after discussions with lawmakers and industry representatives, leading to an extra year of extension due to further negotiations.
Adeyeye explained that the Minister had advised her to grant a one-year extension beyond the five-year period established previously, which expired in December 2025.
Following the directive from the Senate to resume enforcement of the ban, despite resistance from manufacturers requesting further delays, she confirmed that NAFDAC resumed its actions.
"The Senate gave us the order to resume enforcement," she reiterated, dismissing arguments that warning labels would be effective in preventing underage drinking by questioning their realism in the Nigerian context.
"Do not use under 18. Do not use in Nigeria, are we kidding ourselves? Are we really kidding ourselves? In Nigeria? Who is going to enforce?" she challenged.
Reaffirming NAFDAC's stance, she pointed out that the policy is consistent with Nigeria's obligations on the international stage.
"In 2010, Nigeria signed an agreement at the World Health Assembly, which was ratified by 193 countries, pledging not to make alcohol easily accessible to vulnerable populations," she noted.
In response to criticism regarding ongoing product registration during the moratorium period, Adeyeye stated that the agency was aligned with legislative directives at that time.
"We were honoring the extended moratorium by registering products that were compliant," she said, adding, "I think we are learning our lessons now that we shouldn’t have even listened or registered products during that particular period."
When asked about a court injunction purportedly halting the enforcement of the ban, Adeyeye clarified that NAFDAC had yet to be formally notified.
"NAFDAC has not been served. If we have been served, I have not been given that," she asserted.
She emphasized that the agency remains within its legal framework as it acts on legislative directives.
"We are shutting down lines in production, not entire businesses," she clarified, refuting claims that NAFDAC has closed down companies altogether.
Adeyeye alleged that manufacturers are placing profits over public health interests, stating, "On their side, they are all about money, not about health."
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