NAFDAC Says Alcohol Fuels Banditry As Sachet Ban Faces Pushback

• NAFDAC says alcohol consumption contributes to banditry, kidnapping and other violent behaviour.

• DG Mojisola Adeyeye says small alcohol packs make drinking easier for children and young people.

• The agency says alcohol can damage the brain, kidneys and liver.

• NAFDAC is enforcing a ban on alcoholic drinks in sachets and bottles below 200ml.

September 09, () — Nigeria’s argument over sachet alcohol is no longer only about what people drink. It is increasingly about what unrestricted access to cheap, portable alcohol could mean for public health, children and, according to NAFDAC, even national security.

NAFDAC Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, renewed the agency’s position on Wednesday during an interview on MEDIA TODAY’s Sunrise Daily, saying alcohol consumption is linked to banditry and warning about its effects on vital organs including the brain, kidneys and liver.

Her claim about banditry is not new. During a March briefing on the nationwide enforcement of the sachet alcohol ban, Adeyeye went further in explaining how she sees the connection.

“In our country, it is responsible for banditry. It is responsible for kidnapping. You cannot be in your right mind and point a gun at somebody. It starts with alcohol and then goes on to hard drugs.”

That is the argument behind one of NAFDAC’s strongest cases for restricting small-pack alcohol. The agency is not presenting the ban simply as a packaging rule. It sees the small sachets and bottles as making alcohol cheap, portable and easy to conceal, particularly for young people.

Why NAFDAC Is Targeting Small Packs

Adeyeye said the sale of alcohol in sachets and small PET bottles was approved decades ago but eventually became difficult to control.

NAFDAC has since moved to enforce a nationwide ban on alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets and PET or glass bottles below 200ml.
The agency’s concern is particularly focused on minors.

A NAFDAC study cited by Adeyeye found that some children were buying alcohol themselves, while small sachet and PET products were among the formats they could easily obtain and conceal. NAFDAC has argued that removing those formats from the market can make alcohol harder for children to access.

Adeyeye has also warned about what early exposure could lead to, saying the agency’s findings showed young people who begin drinking early face a higher risk of alcohol dependence and may progress to other substances.

NAFDAC’s Banditry Claim Raises The Stakes

NAFDAC’s argument becomes more controversial when it moves from health effects to banditry and kidnapping.

Alcohol abuse is widely recognised as a public health and behavioural concern, but Adeyeye’s claim that it is responsible for banditry is a much stronger assertion. Her comments present alcohol as one factor in a chain of behaviour that can move from early drinking to substance abuse and violent conduct.

NAFDAC has used a similar argument in defending the ban, saying the proliferation of cheap, accessible alcohol has contributed to underage drinking, risky behaviour and other social problems.

For the regulator, the debate therefore extends beyond the alcohol industry and its commercial interests. It is about how easily a child can obtain alcohol, how early that exposure begins and what the agency believes can follow.

Adeyeye acknowledged that the ban has not sat well with everyone, but said Nigerians should also consider the long-term consequences for their children.

The controversy is unlikely to disappear soon. NAFDAC has continued enforcement against manufacturers still producing banned sachet and small-pack alcoholic drinks, while industry stakeholders have raised concerns about the economic consequences of the policy.