In a significant boost for public health policy, leading Civil Society Organizations have strongly endorsed the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control's decision to ban sachet alcohol, dismissing manufacturers' warnings of massive job losses as an exaggerated "scare tactic."
The Network for Health Equity and Development (NHED) and Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) threw their weight behind NAFDAC in a joint statement on Sunday. The organizations described the ban on alcoholic beverages in sachets, PET bottles, and glass bottles of 200ml and below as a "long-overdue public health intervention" crucial for protecting children, youths, and other vulnerable groups.
The move, effective December 2025, aims to curb the growing misuse of cheap alcohol, which NAFDAC links to domestic violence, road accidents, and school dropouts. However, the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) had warned the policy could lead to the loss of over five million jobs and negatively impact investments worth N1.9 trillion.
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The CSOs firmly rejected these claims. In their statement, they argued, “We reject in its entirety the claims by MAN that the ban will trigger a loss of over N1.9tn in investment and lead to the retrenchment of over 500,000 workers. These figures are inflated, unverifiable, and a familiar scare tactic used by alcohol and tobacco corporations globally whenever governments regulate harmful products.”
They further noted that sachet alcohol production is largely mechanized and requires limited human labour, accusing manufacturers of continuing production despite a multi-year phase-out period. Dr. Jerome Mafeni, NHED’s Technical Director, emphasized the urgency of prioritizing lives over profit, stating, “The long-term social and economic costs of alcohol-related harm—violence, reduced productivity, rising healthcare costs, and addiction—far outweigh any short-term gains manufacturers seek to protect.”
Akinbode Oluwafemi, CAPPA Executive Director, commended NAFDAC for aligning with global best practices and resisting corporate pressure. The organizations have urged President Bola Tinubu and the National Assembly to support the policy's implementation without delay.
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