- Safiu Kehinde
A Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), the Renevlyn Development Initiative (RDI), has urged the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to remain resolute in enforcing the ban on the production, distribution and sale of alcoholic beverages in sachets, PET bottles and glass containers of 200 ml.
The group’s Executive Director, Philip Jakpor, gave the charge in a statement made available to newsmen on Friday in Lagos.
Jakpor said RDI made the comment amid growing opposition from segments of the alcohol and beverage industry following the commencement of the enforcement on January 22.
He noted that the enforcement exercise was the culmination of more than two years of engagements between NAFDAC and industry stakeholders over implementation of the policy.
The RDI boss recalled that the Association of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Employers and the Distillers and Blenders Association of Nigeria signed an agreement with the Federal Ministry of Health and NAFDAC in December 2018 to phase out alcohol in sachets and PET bottles below 200ml by Jan. 31, 2024.
He added that the deadline was later extended to allow manufacturers adequate time to comply with the policy.
“However, the Food, Beverage and Tobacco Senior Staff Association (FOBTOB), alongside the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) and the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), have criticised the policy, citing potential job losses and operational disruptions.
“NAFDAC has maintained that the policy is irreversible, explaining that it is driven by concerns over public health, particularly the risks posed to children exposed to alcohol at an early age,” Jakpor.
He commended the agency for what he described as a bold and life-saving intervention.
“We must commend NAFDAC for this long-overdue action. The enforcement of the sachet alcohol ban is a step in the right direction.
“And the agency must not be distracted by the familiar rhetoric of imaginary job losses advanced by the alcohol industry in defence of profit over public health,” Jakpor said.
He noted that alcohol-related harm remained a major but under-addressed driver of non-communicable diseases and mental health conditions, affecting not only adults but also children.
Jakpor dismissed the industry’s opposition, describing it as a deliberate attempt to undermine regulation.
He cited the Movendi International 2025 Big Alcohol Exposed Report, which documented 1,300 cases and 77 independent studies detailing how the alcohol industry interferes with evidence-based alcohol policies globally.
“The sustained effort by alcohol lobbyists in Nigeria to derail enforcement of the sachet alcohol ban under the guise of job losses reflects a global strategy of interference adapted to local contexts,” he said.
Jakpor urged NAFDAC to stand firm, describing the policy as epochal and capable of setting a precedent for other African countries facing similar industry pressures.
He also commended NAFDAC’s Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, for prioritising the health and wellbeing of Nigerians.
“Nigerians fully support this action. The false narratives and twisted rhetoric of the alcohol industry to sustain business as usual will fail,” Jakpor said.