The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has explained that the ban on sachet alcohol is mainly to protect children and young people. The Director-General of the agency, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, said the policy is designed to reduce easy access to strong alcoholic drinks by minors. She made this known during an interview on Arise Television, stressing that the move is about public health and safety, not punishment.

Prof. Adeyeye explained that NAFDAC is legally responsible for regulating alcohol as part of food and beverage products in Nigeria. According to her, shortly after she assumed office in 2017, concerns were raised about the growing spread of alcohol sold in sachets. She revealed that some of these products contain up to 44 percent alcohol, making them highly potent and dangerous, especially when easily accessible to young people.

She noted that sachet alcohol is cheap, portable and easy to hide, which makes it attractive to secondary school students. Because of this, NAFDAC began consultations with key stakeholders, including alcohol manufacturers, the Federal Ministry of Health, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), and the Association of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Employers (AFBTE). These discussions led to an agreement to gradually phase out sachet alcohol over a five-year period.

The NAFDAC boss clarified that alcohol itself has not been banned in Nigeria. Instead, the focus is on stopping the sale of alcohol in sachet packaging, which she described as harmful to society. She maintained that the policy is in the best interest of children and public health, adding that responsible regulation will help reduce abuse and protect vulnerable groups.