CSOs demand passage of Alcohol Control Bill to protect lives

By Mashe Umaru Gwamna

Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have called on the National Assembly to accelerate the passage of the National Alcohol Control Bill, 2026, to shield Nigerians from alcohol-related harms and safeguard vulnerable populations.

The demand was articulated in a joint communique issued following the Nigeria Civil Society Convening on Alcohol Policy Advocacy Action, organized in Abuja by the Renevlyn Development Initiative (RDI) and Motivator’s Crib Africa (MCA).

The communique highlighted severe public health metrics from the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Status Report on Alcohol and Health, linking alcohol consumption in Nigeria to 42,120 liver cirrhosis deaths, 15,365 road traffic accidents, and 4,687 cancer cases.

The coalition noted that this health burden damages national human capital, lowers workplace productivity, and drives up healthcare expenses.

While acknowledging regulatory efforts by the Federal Ministry of Health and NAFDAC—including the prohibition of alcohol in sachets and small PET bottles—the groups pointed out that enforcement remains hindered by a lack of overriding statutory legislation and poor multi-sectoral coordination.

“In spite of NAFDAC’s ban on alcohol in sachets and small PET bottles, there is still proliferation of these products in local communities where unscrupulous producers make them easily accessible to youth and children,” the communique stated, referencing recent NAFDAC survey data indicating that roughly 50 percent of Nigerian children as young as nine years old have been exposed to or consumed alcohol.

The coalition identified aggressive digital marketing, lifestyle branding, and corporate interference as key tactics used by the alcohol industry to target young demographics and erode traditional cultural practices.

To address these challenges, the convening outlined several core recommendations: The 10th National Assembly should prioritize passing the National Alcohol Control Bill without delay, ensuring the political calendar does not stall its progress, lawmakers should codify the Federal Ministry of Health’s Nigeria Alcohol Policy and Multisectoral Implementation Plan (2026–2030) into binding law with clear enforcement penalties, olicy formulation must be insulated from commercial industry influence and anchored strictly on independent scientific evidence.

They added that government should allocate adequate resources for nationwide enforcement of packaging bans, stricter drink-driving regulations, and sobriety monitoring at transport hubs, and relevant authorities must involve civil society organizations across all stages of policy development, public hearings, and oversight.

The communique was endorsed by 23 participating organizations, including RDI, MCA, the Centre for the Study of the Economies of Africa, the Association of Advocates Against Alcohol Harm in Nigeria, and the Civil Society on Mental Health and Drug Demand Reduction.