The Federal Government has stepped in to halt enforcement of the proposed sachet alcohol ban, ordering the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control to suspend all related actions amid growing concerns over security risks and economic disruption.

The intervention follows escalating tension around factory closures and warehouse sealing linked to the planned restriction on sachet alcohol and 200ml PET bottle alcoholic products, moves that authorities now say were premature in the absence of a fully implemented National Alcohol Policy.

In a statement issued in Abuja on Wednesday, the Special Adviser on Public Affairs to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Terrence Kuanum, said the directive emerged from a joint review by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the Office of the National Security Adviser.

The review, he said, concluded that continued enforcement posed risks beyond public health, particularly in communities where the alcohol value chain supports jobs, informal trade, and local supply networks.

“Accordingly, all actions, decisions or enforcement measures relating to the ongoing ban on sachet alcohol are to be suspended pending the final consultations and implementation of the National Alcohol Policy and the issuance of a final directive,” the statement said.

Also Read: NAFDAC defends sachet ban, says 54 percent of minors buy alcohol

Although the National Alcohol Policy has already been signed by the Federal Ministry of Health following a directive from the President, the Federal Government said enforcement must wait until the policy is fully operational and backed by coordinated implementation across agencies.

The suspension order explicitly covers factory shutdowns, warehouse sealing, and public actions that signal an effective ban, which the government described as creating uncertainty across the industry.

According to the statement, enforcement actions already taken were beginning to strain supply chains and threaten livelihoods, raising red flags for security agencies concerned about unemployment, informal market disruptions, and social instability.

Kuanum said the directive reaffirmed an earlier position issued by the SGF’s office in December 2025, which had suspended all actions on the proposed ban pending broader consultations and a final decision.

He also disclosed that the SGF’s office had received formal input from the House of Representatives Committee on Food and Drugs Administration and Control, which warned against enforcement without alignment with legislative resolutions.

The letter, dated November 13, 2025 and signed by the committee’s Deputy Chairman, Hon. Uchenna Okonkwo, referenced National Assembly resolutions and raised concerns over the regulatory approach being adopted by NAFDAC.

The Federal Government said it is now weighing public health priorities alongside economic realities and national security considerations, noting that the involvement of the National Security Adviser reflected the wider implications of the issue.

Officials cautioned that enforcing the ban without a harmonised framework could deepen unemployment, destabilise vulnerable communities, and create avoidable security challenges.

The government assured industry stakeholders and the public that a final position would be communicated after inter-agency coordination and consultations, stressing that any decision would balance public health objectives with economic stability and national interest.

Meiza Nigeria