The Federal Government has ordered the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to immediately suspend all enforcement activities connected to the proposed ban on sachet alcohol and 200ml PET bottle alcoholic beverages.
The directive also warned the agency against sealing factories and warehouses over the matter.
The order was conveyed in a statement issued on Wednesday in Abuja by the Special Adviser on Public Affairs to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Terrence Kuanum.
According to Kuanum, the decision followed a joint intervention by the Office of the SGF and the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), which expressed concerns about the security implications of enforcing the ban without a fully implemented National Alcohol Policy.
“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 read.
He explained that although the National Alcohol Policy had already been signed by the Federal Ministry of Health in line with the directive of President Bola Tinubu, both the SGF’s office and the NSA insisted that NAFDAC must refrain from enforcement until the policy is fully implemented and further instructions are issued.
The Federal Government clarified that enforcement actions to be suspended include factory closures, sealing of warehouses and continued public emphasis on the sachet alcohol ban.
The statement noted that the continued sealing of warehouses and what it described as a “de facto ban” on sachet alcohol products, in the absence of a harmonised policy framework, was already disrupting economic activities and posing security risks, particularly through job losses, supply chain disruptions and pressure on informal distribution networks nationwide.
Kuanum added that the directive reaffirmed an earlier instruction issued by the SGF’s office in December 2025, which had suspended all actions related to the proposed ban pending consultations and a final decision.
He further disclosed that the SGF’s office had received a letter dated November 13, 2025, from the House of Representatives Committee on Food and Drugs Administration and Control, expressing concerns over NAFDAC’s planned enforcement measures and drawing attention to existing National Assembly resolutions on the issue.
The letter, referenced NASS/10/HR/CT.53/77 and signed by the committee’s Deputy Chairman, Hon. Uchenna Okonkwo, raised objections to the proposed enforcement actions and cited legislative resolutions already passed on the matter.
The Federal Government said it was currently reviewing legislative resolutions, public health considerations, economic implications and broader national interest issues surrounding the proposed ban.
It added that the involvement of the National Security Adviser underscored the gravity of the situation, warning that premature enforcement without coordinated policy implementation could destabilise communities, worsen unemployment and trigger security challenges.
The government assured Nigerians and industry stakeholders that a final decision would be communicated after comprehensive consultations and inter-agency coordination, in the interest of public health, economic stability and national security.
 to immediately suspend){kind=link}