NAFDAC DG says alcohol encourages banditry, explains why sachet drinks were banned

• NAFDAC DG Mojisola Adeyeye says alcohol encourages banditry and can damage major organs.

• She said sachet alcohol became difficult to control, prompting the ban on drinks below 200ml.

• NAFDAC shut down three companies and took enforcement action against manufacturers who violated the policy.

The Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Mojisola Adeyeye, has explained why the agency banned alcohol sold in sachets and small bottles, saying excessive alcohol consumption can cause serious health problems and “encourages banditry.”

Adeyeye made the comments during an interview on Channels Television's Sunrise Daily on Wednesday, where she addressed the controversy surrounding NAFDAC's ban on alcoholic drinks sold in sachets and PET bottles of less than 200ml.

According to the NAFDAC boss, alcohol in small sachets and bottles had become increasingly difficult to control, particularly because of concerns about its accessibility to young people. Adeyeye said the sale of alcohol in sachets was approved decades ago, but the situation had since become what she described as “uncontrollable.”

She further added that NAFDAC eventually moved to ban alcohol sold in sachets and bottles smaller than 200ml despite resistance from some manufacturers and members of the public.

“This monster became uncontrollable. This monster stood out to destroy the future of our workforce, of our children,” Adeyeye said.

The NAFDAC DG said the agency had taken enforcement measures against manufacturers, including shutting down three major companies for three weeks and putting some people behind bars. Manufacturers were also made to sign an undertaking that they would no longer produce alcohol in sachets or small bottles below the approved 200ml limit.

Adeyeye said the agency's decision was driven by concerns about the effect of alcohol on the body and the future of young Nigerians.

She warned that alcohol could damage major organs, including the brain, kidneys and liver. During the interview, she also said alcohol “encourages banditry,” a comment that has since drawn attention online.

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According to Adeyeye, some of the opposition to the ban comes from people who are focused on the immediate impact of the policy rather than its long-term consequences.

She recalled protests against the policy in Ibadan, even after the National Alcohol Policy, which includes restrictions on sachet alcohol and small PET bottles, was launched by the Ministry of Health.

Adeyeye acknowledged that the ban had not been popular with everyone but maintained that NAFDAC's priority was protecting public health.

“When you are doing something that is right, something that is going to safeguard the health of our people... you will step on toes and get pushback,” she said.