Director of Investigation at the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Martins Iluyomade, has said the agency has commenced enforcement of the ban on sachet and small-packaged alcoholic beverages, with initial efforts focused on halting production at factories and securing warehouse stocks to prevent the products from entering Nigerian markets.
Speaking in an interview with ARISE News on Thursday, Iluyomade, said the enforcement exercise began earlier this week and is progressing steadily, despite logistical challenges.
“We just started on Monday, and this is day four. So far, it’s been going very well,” Iluyomade said.
“We cannot cover everywhere on the same day at the same time, but we are monitoring closely, and we are moving at a very good speed. We are getting people to comply, and we’ve had a lot of companies complying.”
Iluyomade explained that the ban was driven primarily by public health concerns, particularly the rising abuse of highly concentrated alcohol among young people and children.
“Alcohol has been described as a psychoactive substance, and it contributes majorly to health burdens,” he said.
“Even the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3.5 talks about preventing unnecessary access to alcohol because of its impact on people.”
According to him, NAFDAC observed a spike in harmful social behaviours linked to easy access to sachet alcohol, with broader implications for public safety.
“What we discovered is a spike in activities that reflect youth social behaviours associated with alcohol,” Iluyomade said.
“It affects children, it affects young people, and it also contributes to insecurity. That was why, by 2018, NAFDAC decided that enough was enough.”
He noted that the ban was not sudden, stressing that manufacturers were given a five-year moratorium to adjust.
“By 2018, we gave manufacturers about five years’ moratorium to finish whatever they were doing before enforcement,” he said.
“That engagement has been going on since 2018. The ban is not on alcohol itself; it is about preventing easy access to highly potent alcohol among youths and young adults.”
Iluyomade explained that sachet alcohol made abuse easier because of its affordability and portability.
“You can buy it for ₦100, put several sachets in your pocket, and consume it easily,” he said.
“All of these factors led us to work with the industry from 2018 and agree on a gradual phase-out. Unfortunately, compliance did not happen as expected, so enforcement had to begin.”
Addressing concerns about banned products re-entering the market, Iluyomade said NAFDAC deliberately chose to stop production at the source before moving to open markets.
“The phase we are in right now is stopping production,” he said.
“We are shutting down the production lines used for sachet alcohol, and we are holding stocks in warehouses. We have not yet gone to the markets.”
He added that seized products would not be allowed back into circulation.
“All the products we have stopped will be evacuated and properly accounted for, so they do not re-enter the system,” Iluyomade said.
“After this phase, we will then move straight into the markets to mop up what is already there. But first, we must stop it from the source.”
On resistance from manufacturers and concerns about economic losses, Iluyomade said NAFDAC’s priority remained public health, though extensive consultations had taken place.
“I want to believe we are on the same page now,” he said.
“As regulators, we have a mandate to protect Nigerians. The burden is on us to do the right thing at the right time.”
He acknowledged that no regulatory action is without opposition.
“There is no perfect system. Anytime you implement a regulation, some people will feel aggrieved,” Iluyomade said.
“But we cannot talk only about economic impact without looking at the broader effect on society.”
Clarifying misconceptions, Iluyomade stressed that alcohol production itself has not been banned.
“Nobody is banning alcohol,” he said.
“What we are banning is the small sachet packaging that is easily accessible and allows people to get intoxicated very easily. Alcohol production itself has not been stopped.”
On alcohol content, Iluyomade said while the products may not be illegal by formulation, their potency remains a concern.
“I won’t call it abnormal, but it is highly concentrated alcohol,” he said.
NAFDAC says the enforcement exercise will continue in phases, with market-level operations to follow, as the agency moves to fully implement the ban nationwide.
Boluwatife Enome
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