The Coalition for Healthy Food Advocacy (CHFA) has expressed full support for the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) ahead of the agency’s ban on sachet and small-volume alcoholic beverages.
The regulation, which takes effect in December 2025 with full enforcement from January 2026, prohibits the production, distribution, and sale of alcohol in sachets and containers smaller than 200 milliliters.
In a statement on Thursday, CHFA urged manufacturers, distributors, retailers, and market associations to comply with the directive. The coalition also called on security agencies and state governments to assist NAFDAC in monitoring markets, closing illegal production sites, and preventing banned products from re-entering circulation.
CHFA highlighted the health and safety rationale behind the move, emphasizing the protection of children, reduction of non-communicable diseases, and improvement of Nigeria’s food environment. The coalition warned that cheap, high-strength alcoholic drinks sold in sachets disproportionately affect young people and low-income communities, promoting early alcohol initiation and binge drinking.
“The circulation of sachet alcohol fuels addiction, violence, and economic hardship in low-income neighbourhoods. These products contribute to over 200 disease and injury conditions, including liver disease, hypertension, stroke, cancers, and diabetes complications,” the coalition said.
The group noted that sachet alcohol is often consumed quickly, raising the risk of road accidents, unsafe sexual behavior, poisoning, and premature death. Heavy alcohol consumption can also displace nutritious foods and worsen nutrient absorption, affecting overall health.
CHFA recalled that the ban follows a five-year moratorium agreed in 2018 between NAFDAC, the Federal Ministry of Health, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, and beverage manufacturers, giving producers time to phase out high-risk packaging.
Quoting Akinbode Oluwafemi, Executive Director of Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa, CHFA said:
“Communities have endured alcohol-related violence and addiction for years, and public health must take precedence over profit.”
Dr. Jerome Mafeni, Lead Technical Advisor at the Network for Health Equity and Development and CHFA’s Secretariat Lead, said removing sachet alcohol aligns with national strategies to combat hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases.
According to CHFA, eliminating sachet alcohol is a vital step toward building a safer, healthier, and more productive Nigeria.
