Education
Why passage of Nigeria’s Alcohol Regulation Bill should be now – EnviroNews
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Nigerians deeply care about the health, safety, and development of our young generation. That is why the enforcement of the ban on alcoholic beverages in sachets and small PET bottles in Nigeria by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) is a right step in the right direction.
In advancing the policy, the NAFDAC relied on clear evidence that is already before our faces – children in our communities are getting addicted to alcohol due to the availability and affordability of the products, and their concealability. The alcohol industry is using these products to drive up alcohol availability and hook the young generation on their products.
The alcohol industry lobby campaign against the sachet ban is deeply troubling and reveals the alcohol industry’s conflict of interest: extracting private profits over protecting Nigerian children and youth.
According to a NAFDAC data, 63.2% of minors in Nigeria consume alcohol.
Studies have equally shown that the high-strength alcoholic drinks in sachets and PET bottles contribute to school dropouts, domestic violence, road crashes, and long-term organ failures.
As anticipated, the enforcement of the ban which commenced on January 1, 2026, has drawn the ire of the alcohol industry which wants things to be business as usual but NAFDAC has stood its ground that the health and wellbeing of Nigeria’s young generation must take precedence over profits.
NAFDAC’s hand has also been strengthened by the official launch of the Nigeria Alcohol Policy (2026–2030) through the Coordinating Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, formally incorporating the ban into national public health policy. The Policy establishes a unified national framework that prioritises the reduction of alcohol-related health, social, and economic harm.
These interventions, notwithstanding, the sale of alcohol in sachets has not disappeared. It has only gone underground and patrons who are willing to pay know where to get them and once they do, such products ultimately get to kids who innocently believe that alcohol consumption is normal.
This belief actually mirrors how alcohol advertising and pop culture deliberately target or prompt young people, portraying alcohol as a required part of adult socialization and identity.
The exposure of children to alcohol through television, the internet, and outdoor billboards normalizes alcohol use. It is because of these influences that there’s need for an overarching legislation to address not only alcohol on the shelves and open market, but also in the media – a space that the industry exploits aggressively to maintain a stranglehold on the impressionable.
The Bill for an Act to Provide for the Control, Regulation and Reduction of Alcohol-Related Harm in Nigeria sponsored by Hon. Oluwatimehin Adelegbe, Chair, House Ad-hoc Committee on Drug Trafficking, Tobacco and Alcohol Abuse, provides the national framework for harmonising all the earlier policies into one.
The Bill seeks to integrate evidence-based alcohol policy into national Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) strategies to mitigate health challenges and other risks. It would set standards for how alcoholic products are marketed, advertised, and promoted in public spaces and media to reduce youth exposure.
This Bill will save agencies like NAFDAC from the needless pushback and threats of litigation from alcohol corporations determined to drive up alcohol use for profit maximization, no matter the costs people, families, communities, and Nigerian society pay.
As the 10th National Assembly approaches the end of its tenure, our lawmakers now have an opportunity to demonstrate leadership on a matter with significant implications for public health, child protection, road safety and national development. Delays in establishing a comprehensive framework risk leaving critical gaps in the country’s response to alcohol-related harm.
The urgency is underscored by the realities facing Nigerian communities. Alcohol remains widely available through multiple retail channels, while aggressive marketing, and the lack of an evidence-based alcohol policy system expose Nigeria children and youth to avoidable
The legislative process must be people-centred, evidence-informed, transparent and inclusive, drawing on public-health experts, civil society organizations, affected communities, relevant government agencies and other appropriate stakeholders. The process must also be safeguarded against conflicts of interest and corporate interference.
The task before the National Assembly is clear: expedite consideration of the National Alcohol Control Bill. The health and future of Nigerians must remain at the centre of our national priorities. The time to act is now!
By Philip Jakpo (Executive Director of Renevlyn Development Initiative) and Chijioke Nwokoch (Executive Director of Motivator’s Crib Africa)
