As protests multiply and a court battle heats up, Nigeria’s sachet alcohol ban has become a full-blown political and public health crisis , and the NAFDAC boss is squarely in the crosshairs.
Drinkabl has been tracking this story since the ban first sparked controversy, and we will continue to bring you every development as it unfolds.
A civil society group stormed Abuja on Wednesday, February 26, demanding President Bola Tinubu sack the Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof. Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye, the latest flashpoint in a growing national battle over Nigeria’s ban on sachet alcohol and 200ml PET bottle spirits.
The Rebirth Nigeria Movement, led by National Coordinator Comrade Okwute Hilary Akor, described the enforcement as an “illegal enforcement of an arbitrary ban,” contending that NAFDAC’s actions contradict a presidential directive suspending enforcement pending a joint committee review, as well as a House of Representatives resolution from 2024 calling for stakeholder engagement before any action.
“The decision could negatively impact businesses and jobs across the alcohol production value chain, especially at a time when the Federal Government is promoting economic reforms,” Akor told journalists at the protest.
But the timing of Wednesday’s action is significant. It comes just days after the Federal Ministry of Health told a Federal High Court in Lagos that it has absolutely no power to stop NAFDAC from doing its job. In a counter-affidavit filed on February 23, the ministry stated it “neither interferes with nor controls NAFDAC’s enforcement decisions,” arguing that the agency holds exclusive statutory authority under Sections 5 and 30 of the NAFDAC Act to enforce the ban on alcoholic beverages in sachets, PET bottles, and glass containers below 200ml. allAfrica.com
The court filing came in response to a suit by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), which is pushing the court to declare the ban valid and permanently block any government-ordered moratorium on its enforcement. SERAP argues that sachet alcohol products , cheap, potent, and easily accessible, have fuelled rising alcohol abuse particularly among young people and low-income communities. Legal Nigeria
The controversy has been building since NAFDAC began enforcing the nationwide ban on January 22, 2026 Movendi, despite a counter-directive from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF). The OSGF had warned that sealing factories and warehouses was “already creating economic disruptions and poses a growing security threat, particularly given the impact on employment, supply chains, and informal distribution networks.” Vanguard News
On the streets, anger is boiling over — in both directions. Labour unions NLC and TUC blockaded NAFDAC’s Lagos headquarters this week for the seventh consecutive day of protest, demanding the reopening of sealed factories. Meanwhile, health and civil society voices have been equally vocal in backing NAFDAC’s Prof. Adeyeye. Regional health organisations in Uganda and Ghana have praised Nigeria’s crackdown, with Uganda’s alcohol policy body calling the move “decisive and evidence-based.” Movendi
Prof. Adeyeye has remained defiant. She has maintained that the ban targets only two packaging formats, sachets and PET/glass bottles below 200ml , and is aimed at “safeguarding the health and future of our children and youth,” insisting the decision is “rooted in scientific evidence.” ThisDayLive
The Rebirth Nigeria Movement said it has formally presented its grievances to the Senate, while urging President Tinubu to relieve Adeyeye of her duties. The Federal High Court is expected to fix a hearing date that could finally determine whether Nigeria’s regulators or its politicians have the final word on the sachet alcohol debate.
Watch this space — Drinkabl will report every court date, every protest, and every policy twist as this landmark story develops.
Further Reading:
- Alcohol Industry Pushes for Sachet Ban Withdrawal But NAFDAC Stands Firm — Movendi International
- FG Orders NAFDAC to Halt Sachet Alcohol Ban — Vanguard
- Nigeria’s Brewers Sound the Alarm on Three-Year Excise Plan — Drinkabl Media
- Health Ministry: NAFDAC Has Sole Authority to Enforce Sachet Alcohol Ban — Leadership
