Citizen Group Condemns Planned NAFDAC/Senate Ban On Small-Volume Alcohol​


The Concerned Citizen For Change (CCC), a civil society organization, has vehemently denounced the recent directive by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the Senate to prohibit the sale of alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets and small-volume bottles (below 200ml), with an enforcement deadline set for December 2025.



​Speaking at a press conference in Abuja, Comrade Godwin Chukwudi, the National Coordinator of CCC, publicly slammed the planned ban, describing the directive as "draconic" and "illegal."



​The group specifically attributed the controversial policy to NAFDAC's Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye, and the Senate.



​The CCC argued that the ban is "illegal and undemocratic" due to NAFDAC's alleged failure to engage critical industry stakeholders and its reported bypass of prior resolutions reached with the Federal Ministry of Health and the House of Representatives.



​Comrade Chukwudi asserted that the action stands in "sharp contrast" to the economic agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The group further suggested that the Senate resolution was passed solely at NAFDAC's request without offering a fair hearing to the affected industry.



​The organization issued a stark warning regarding the potential economic fallout from the ban, citing a projected loss of over N1.9 trillion in investment from indigenous Nigerian companies.



​According to Chukwudi, the ban would lead to mass retrenchment, potentially affecting over 500,000 direct employees and an estimated 5 million indirect jobs. He also warned of a predicted reduction in capacity utilization within the manufacturing sector.



​The CCC maintained 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 group stressed that the key recommendations from that validation focused on:



​Robust enforcement.
​Licensing of liquor stores.
​Enlightenment campaigns against underage consumption.

​The CCC dismissed NAFDAC’s primary justification for the ban—"abuse by minors"—insisting that a policy of outright prohibition was unnecessary given the existing framework.



​The Concerned Citizen For Change concluded by issuing a series of strong demands for immediate intervention from the government and legislative bodies:



​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."

​The group went further, demanding that the NAFDAC DG, Prof. Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye, should "desist from further running the agency like a private business enterprise... or resign."



​Comrade Chukwudi urged all parties to prioritize dialogue to ensure that regulatory decisions do not cripple local businesses and exacerbate the national unemployment crisis.

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