By Hassan Zaggi
The Coalition for Healthy Food Advocacy (CHFA) has said that the ban on alcoholic beverages in sachets and small containers below 200 ml by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) will protect children, strengthen Nigeria’s food environment and also curb the increasing Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs) in the country.
The Coalition stated this in a statement in Abuja, on Thursday.
It would be recalled that few days ago, the NAFDAC in a statement signed by the Director General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, announced the ban on production and sales of alcoholic beverages in sachets and small containers below 200 ml, noting that the ban was not punitive rather protective.
She lamented that the proliferation of high-alcohol-content beverages in sachets and small containers has made such products easily accessible, affordable, and concealable, leading to widespread misuse and addiction among minors and commercial drivers.
However, in its statement, the CHFA noted that the enforcement is not sudden, insisting that. “it follows a five-year moratorium agreed in 2018 between NAFDAC, the Federal Ministry of Health, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission and manufacturers to ensure a smooth transition away from high-risk alcohol packaging.”
The Coalition further noted that “sachet alcohol is inexpensive, highly concentrated and widely sold in informal markets where age restrictions are rarely enforced.
“These features make it easily accessible to children, adolescents and low-income consumers. Removing these products is, therefore, a critical measure to protect young Nigerians from early alcohol exposure and lifelong harm.”
The statement further quoted the Executive Director of Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA),Mr Akinbode Oluwafemi, as saying: “For years, low-income communities have carried the heaviest burden of sachet alcohol harm.
“This enforcement is a clear message that public health must come before profit. Communities deserve protection from products that fuel addiction, violence and poverty.
“We urge all actors, including industry, to respect this policy and support safer, healthier neighbourhoods across Nigeria.”
Alcohol, the group further noted, contributes to more than two hundred disease and injury conditions and is responsible for a significant share of liver disease, hypertension, stroke and several cancers. It also worsens outcomes for people living with diabetes and other metabolic disorders.
Sachet alcohol encourages binge drinking because small units contain high alcohol strength and can be consumed rapidly, increasing the risk of road crashes, violence, unsafe sex, poisoning and premature death.
CHFA warned that the economic costs of harmful alcohol use include health-care expenditure, reduced productivity, road traffic injuries, social disruption and premature mortality. Evidence shows that these losses outweigh revenue from alcohol production.
“Alcohol is part of our food environment and contributes directly to the rising burden of non-communicable diseases,” said Dr Jerome Mafeni, Lead Technical Advisor, Network for Health Equity and Development (NHED) and Secretariat Lead for CHFA. “The removal of sachet alcohol aligns with sodium reduction, Front-of-Pack Labelling and other measures that support healthier diets and prevent hypertension, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. A healthier population is the foundation of a productive nation, and the economic cost of alcohol-related harm far outweighs any revenue gained from its sale.”
The Coalition, therefore, urged manufacturers, distributors, retailers and market associations to comply fully with the directive.
“We call on security agencies and state governments to actively support NAFDAC in monitoring markets, interdicting illegal production and ensuring these harmful products do not re-enter circulation.
“We also encourage sustained public awareness so communities understand the health reasons behind the ban and the benefits of reduced alcohol-related harm.”
The CHFA reiterated that it stands firmly with NAFDAC in protecting public health and strengthening Nigeria’s food and beverage regulatory system, insisting that removing sachet alcohol from the market is a necessary step toward a healthier, safer and more prosperous Nigeria.
