Sachet Alcohol Ban: NECA Calls For Evidence-Based Regulation And Respect For Due Process

The Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association, NECA, has observed with deep concern the renewed enforcement by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, of a ban on the production and sale of alcoholic beverages in sachets and small PET bottles, describing the development as a serious regulatory misstep with far-reaching economic and governance implications.

According to a statement signed by the Director General, NECA, Wale-Smatt Oyerinde, it stated that the action directly contradicts the directive of the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation dated 15 December 2025, suspending the ban, as well as the resolution of the House of Representatives of 14 March 2024, which called for restraint and broader stakeholder engagement.

The statement further noted that continued enforcement is already disrupting legitimate businesses, unsettling ongoing investments, placing thousands of jobs at risk, and weakening confidence in Nigeria’s regulatory stability at a time when investor trust is critical.

“NECA unequivocally supports the protection of minors, the removal of unsafe products from the market, and the pursuit of strong public health outcomes. However, the current approach is misdirected. It disproportionately targets compliant and regulated manufacturers while failing to address the real drivers of underage access and the growing challenge of illicit substance abuse across the country,” he said.

Oyerinde, stated that regulation must be rooted in evidence, proportionality, and the rule of law.

According to Mr. Oyerinde, it is unacceptable to punish compliance or criminalise products that passed established regulatory approval processes while ignoring clear gaps in retail enforcement and the spread of far more dangerous unregulated substances.

He stressed that Nigeria needs smarter, data-driven enforcement, not blanket bans that destroy jobs, discourage investment, and fail to solve the underlying problem.

He explained that the alcoholic products now being targeted were tested, registered, and periodically revalidated in accordance with NAFDAC’s scientific and technical procedures.

Alcohol strength is measured globally using Alcohol by Volume, ABV, and the products in question fall within internationally recognised ranges for spirits.

Their alcohol content is clearly printed on the labels and complies with Nigeria’s regulatory framework.

He stated that abruptly labeling such products as inherently dangerous, without presenting new, transparent scientific evidence, raises serious questions about regulatory consistency and fairness.

On the issue of underage drinking, he emphasised that access control is fundamentally an enforcement matter, not a packaging matter.

Alcoholic beverages already carry clear warnings indicating they are not for persons under 18 and should be consumed responsibly. Where minors gain access, he said, the failure lies in weak monitoring of retail outlets and poor enforcement of age restrictions.

Addressing this requires stricter licensing, compliance checks, and sanctions for erring retailers, not the elimination of packaging formats that serve adult consumers lawfully.

He further explained that sachet and small pack formats are an affordability response within Nigeria’s economic structure, where many adult consumers make low-value, daily purchases.

Eliminating these formats will not eliminate demand. Instead, it risks pushing consumers toward informal and unregulated alternatives, increasing public health risks while shrinking the formal economy.

He also expressed concern that while enforcement pressure is being concentrated on a regulated segment of the beverage industry, the country continues to face the spread of more dangerous substances among young people, including illicit narcotics and abused pharmaceuticals.

Directing limited enforcement resources toward compliant manufacturers while more harmful unregulated products circulate widely represents a serious misalignment of policy priorities.

“The economic consequences of the ban are significant. The wines and spirits value chain supports large numbers of direct and indirect jobs across manufacturing, packaging, distribution, transportation, retail, and agriculture. At a time when businesses are grappling with high operating costs, currency pressures, and weak consumer purchasing power, sudden regulatory shocks of this nature threaten livelihoods, reduce government revenue, and undermine investor confidence in the predictability of Nigeria’s policy environment,” he said.

He added that environmental concerns linked to plastic waste, while legitimate, should be addressed through improved waste management systems, recycling frameworks, and extended producer responsibility mechanisms that apply across sectors.

He warned that using environmental shortcomings as a basis for selective product bans confuses waste management policy with product safety regulation.

He reiterated that the organised private sector is not opposed to regulation. On the contrary, NECA supports strict, science-based rules that protect consumers and ensure product quality. What employers reject is regulatory action driven by sentiment, selective enforcement, and disregard for economic consequences and due process.

NECA therefore calls for the immediate suspension of the ongoing enforcement actions, in line with the Federal Government’s earlier directive, and urges a return to structured, evidence-based dialogue among regulators, industry, public health experts, and consumer representatives.

The focus, Mr. Oyerinde stressed, should be on strengthening retail-level enforcement to prevent underage access, expanding public education on responsible consumption, intensifying action against illicit drugs and unregistered alcohol, and developing practical environmental solutions through collaboration rather than prohibition.

Nigeria deserves regulation that protects public health while preserving jobs, investment, and respect for the rule of law.

Policies that disregard science, economic realities, and regulatory coherence risk doing more harm than good.