A civil society organization, Concerned Citizen For Change (CCC), has strongly condemned the recent directive by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the Senate to ban alcoholic beverages sold in sachets and small-volume bottles (below 200ml) by December 2025.
The CCC publicly slammed the planned ban on alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets and small bottles, calling the directive “draconic” and “illegal.”
The group at a press conference in Abuja led by National Coordinator Comrade Godwin Chukwudi, blamed NAFDAC’s Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye, and the Senate for the policy.
The CCC argues that the ban is illegal and undemocratic because NAFDAC failed to engage critical industry stakeholders and bypassed resolutions previously reached with the Federal Ministry of Health and the House of Representatives.
Comrade Chukwudi stated that the move is in “sharp contrast” to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s economic plan. The group also suggested that the Senate resolution was passed solely at NAFDAC’s request without a fair hearing for the affected industry.
The CCC warned that the ban would have severe economic consequences for the nation, citing a potential loss of over N1.9 trillion in investment by indigenous Nigerian companies.
According to Chukwudi, there will also be mass retrenchment affecting over 500,000 direct employees and an estimated 5 million indirect jobs.
He again said, a predicted reduction in capacity utilization for the manufacturing sector.
The group insisted that the issue of sachet alcohol was recently addressed by a high-powered stakeholders’ committee in October 2025, which validated the National Alcohol Policy. The key recommendations from that validation focused on robust enforcement, licensing of liquor stores, and enlightenment campaigns against underage consumption, rather than an outright ban. The CCC also dismissed NAFDAC’s main justification of “abuse by minors.”
The Concerned Citizen For Change concluded by demanding immediate intervention from the government and legislative bodies, which suggests that; the Minister of Health should immediately endorse the validated draft of the Nigeria National Alcohol Policy.
The Senate should rescind its Order and call for a public consultation or hearing on the matter.
NAFDAC must be restrained from implementing the “illegal ban”.
They further demand that the NAFDAC DG, Prof. Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye, should “desist from further running the agency like a private business enterprise… or resign.”
Chukwudi urged all parties to prioritize dialogue to ensure regulatory decisions do not cripple local businesses and worsen the national unemployment crisis.
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