By Emmanuella Oghenetega
The National Orientation Agency (NOA), and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), has today launched a campaign to enforce the ban on sachet alcohol across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
A move which according to the NOA is aimed at protecting children and other vulnerable groups from the harmful effects of alcohol packaged in small, easily concealable containers.
Speaking at a joint press conference in Abuja today, the Director-General of NOA, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, said the campaign was not about restriction “for its own sake” but about safeguarding the future of young Nigerians.
“For too long, sachet alcohol has been dangerously accessible. It is inexpensive, portable and easy to conceal,” he said.
Issa-Onilu warned that in many rural and semi-urban communities, young persons found it easier to obtain high-strength alcohol than to access proper guidance and protection.
“When affordability meets vulnerability, the consequences are profound,” he added.
He stressed that government had both a constitutional duty and moral obligation to act before the damage becomes entrenched.
The NOA boss disclosed that the agency would deploy its 818 offices and structures across all 774 Local Government Areas to drive the campaign.
He said town hall meetings, market outreaches, engagements in motor parks, schools and faith-based institutions would form part of the strategy, with messages delivered in local languages.
The campaign will also leverage television, radio, digital platforms and the NOA CLHEEAN App to encourage citizens to report violations.
Issa-Onilu called on parents, community leaders, retailers and distributors to support the enforcement, urging Nigerians to shun banned products.
Also speaking, the Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, said alcohol consumption among underage persons posed serious behavioural and social risks.
Adeyeye said recent resolutions of the Senate urged NAFDAC to ensure strict enforcement on the ban on sachet alcohol and alcoholic drinks in bottles below 200 millilitres.
Adeyeye warned that the consequences extend beyond immediate intoxication. She cited global medical evidence showing that alcohol damages the developing brain, particularly the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex, increasing risks of memory impairment, poor impulse control, depression, addiction and long-term dependency. Youths who begin drinking before age 15 are 41 per cent more likely to become alcohol dependent, she said.
Beyond health risks, alcohol abuse has been linked to youth violence, suicide, road crashes, risky sexual behaviour, poor academic performance and declining productivity.
The NAFDAC DG said the enforcement follows Senate resolutions of November 6, 2025, which urged the agency not to grant further extension of the moratorium on sachet alcohol and to ensure strict compliance with the ban on alcohol in sachets and bottles below 200 millilitres.
Effective January 1, 2026, the Federal Government banned the production and sale of alcohol in sachets and in PET or glass bottles smaller than 200ml
The Director-General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), who also addressed the briefing, described the move as a deliberate public health intervention aimed at reducing underage access to cheap, high-concentration alcohol.
She added that the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare had also been urged to support the enforcement and release the National Alcohol Policy addressing small-volume packaging.
