Some Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) have backed the planned enforcement of the ban on small-sized sachet alcoholic beverages by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) from December, citing public health concerns.
The CSOs — the Network for Health Equity and Development (NHED) and Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) — expressed their support in a joint statement issued by Mr. Robert Egbe, Media and Communication Officer of CAPPA, in Port Harcourt on Sunday.
NHED and CAPPA described the ban as a “long-overdue public health intervention essential for safeguarding the well-being of Nigeria’s children, youths, and other vulnerable populations.”
They welcomed the impending ban on small-sized alcoholic beverages (sachets, PET bottles, and glass bottles of 200ml and below), describing it as a step in the right direction. The groups agreed with NAFDAC that the packaging, pricing and aggressive marketing of these products had made highly potent alcohol dangerously accessible, especially to minors, contributing to addiction, social disorder, road crashes and rising cases of non-communicable diseases across the country.
Dr. Jerome Mafeni, NHED’s Technical Director, stressed that protecting lives must take precedence. He said the long-term social and economic costs of alcohol-related harm far outweigh any short-term profits manufacturers seek to protect.
According to him, Nigeria currently grapples with increased alcohol-related violence, reduced productivity, escalating healthcare costs and a growing addiction crisis among young people.
“These harms disproportionately affect poor and marginalized communities, who sachet alcohol products specifically target,” Mafeni said.
Mr. Akinbode Oluwafemi, Executive Director of CAPPA, added that government regulation to protect public health should not be negotiable. He said NAFDAC’s decision aligns with global best practices and mirrors what responsible governments worldwide have adopted to curb harmful alcohol consumption.
According to him, “No credible public health agency anywhere will permit the continued marketing of such products in packaging designed to encourage unrestricted, on-the-go and underage drinking.”
He criticized the push-back from some alcohol manufacturers, particularly the claim by the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) that the ban could lead to investment decline and retrenchment.
“We reject, in its entirety, the claims by MAN that the ban will trigger a loss of over N1.9 trillion in investment and lead to the retrenchment of over 500,000 workers. These figures are not only inflated and unverifiable, but they also represent a familiar scare tactic used by alcohol and tobacco corporations globally whenever governments attempt to regulate harmful products,” he said.
NHED and CAPPA commended NAFDAC for resisting corporate pressure and standing firmly on the side of science, public health and national interest.
They called on the Federal Ministries of Health and Finance, the Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON) and the National Orientation Agency (NOA) to support the agency and ensure the seamless implementation of the ban.
Oluwafemi also urged the government to implement additional alcohol control measures, including higher taxation, stricter marketing regulations to protect children, clear labeling and nationwide sensitization on alcohol-related harm.
“We call on President Bola Tinubu and the National Assembly to see through the industry’s theatrics and avoid any attempt to suspend, water down or delay this life-saving policy. The well-being of over 200 million citizens must not be sacrificed at the altar of corporate profit,” he said.
