RDI urges Nigerian govt to back alcohol labelling at CODEX

By Mashe Umaru Gwamna

The Renevlyn Development Initiative (RDI) has urged Nigeria’s Codex National Contact Point to endorse alcohol labelling at the 49th session of the Codex Committee on Food Labelling (CCFL49) holding on the 13th of May 2026 in Ottawa, Canada.
Codex is the joint FAO/WHO body that sets international food standards. Public health advocates continue to advocate the need for the body to begin substantive work on labelling provisions tailored to alcoholic beverages owing to scientific findings confirmed by WHO in January 2023 that there is no safe limit of alcohol consumption.
Alcohol is a Group 1 human carcinogen classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer since 1988. It causes at least seven cancers. Yet, it is the least labelled product with no warning labels in most countries of the world.
RDI and other member groups of Movendi International insist that standardised, evidence-based labels are the most direct, fairest way for governments to honour people’s right to know about the risks linked to alcohol consumption.
In a statement released in Lagos, RDI Executive Director, Philip Jakpor said:
“The CODEX discussions present an opportunity for the Nigerian government to take a firm stand in support of labels on every bottle. Consumers have the right to information about products they buy and use to enable them make informed choices. The absence of clear and legible labels on alcohol bottles is no longer tenable”.
Jakpor said that Nigeria must no longer be a playground of the alcohol industry but instead, it must support lifesaving decisions at global levels that would also translate to national legislations that prioritise health over profits.
He revealed that Movendi International, the largest independent global movement for development through alcohol prevention has released a policy brief which serves as guide in decision making for governments participating in the discussions, including Nigeria.
Nigeria and other country focal points are encouraged to support following: Initiation of a new work on alcohol labelling, as proposed in document CX/FL 26/49/8 (paragraph 14a) to amend or revise the three Codex texts that today treat alcohol as an ordinary food (CXS 1‑1985, CXG 2‑1985, CXG 23‑1997). Establishing the Electronic Working Group, chaired by Tanzania, open to all interested Members and Observers, to draft amendments for consideration by CCFL50. Affirming, in the discussion, that people have the right to information about products they buy and use; that alcohol is a Group 1 carcinogen and a causal factor in at least seven cancers; and that health warnings including cancer warnings should be part of the work programme. Resisting any attempt to defer the work, restrict its scope to alcohol strength alone, defer to alcohol industry-aligned bodies as principal standard-setters, or allow QR codes and e-labels to replace on-pack health information.