Sachet Alcohol: When Profits Trump Human Life – By Kazeem Akintunde

The Federal Government, through the Ministry of Health and one of its agencies, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), has been engaging stakeholders in the industry on the need to stopthe production and sale of alcohol in sachets and small bottles (below 200 ml) in the country since 2018. I know for a fact that several stakeholders’ meetings were held where the dangers of the continued production and consumption of alcohol in sachets and small bottles poses great danger to public health,especially the youths.

As Special Assistant, Communication and Strategy to the former Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole, I attended most of the meetings with various stakeholders chaired by the former minister and held between 2018 and 2020. At those meetings, it was repeated put on record that manufacturers of the sachet alcohol needed to stop its production as a corrective measure and public health intervention aimed at protecting Nigeria’s most vulnerable population – the youths and young adults. Then, with as little as N50, children, young adults, and practically everyone have easy access to the cheap alcohol available in nearly all nooks and crannies of the country. 

Data on its hazards, particularly on children, were provided by professionals in the field, who reiterated the fact that its availability at motor parks and garages was responsible for more than 60 per cent of the road accidents experienced in our nation daily. The decision to ban its production was rooted in clear evidence that these small, highly concentrated alcohol sachets fuel addiction, abuse, and a cascade of social problems.

Then, the manufacturers saw reason why the ban should be implemented but always pleaded for time to dispose those already in stock. Over the years however, the manufacturers have come to realise that there are huge profits in that line of business and are no longer willing to let go of their new found goldmine. Due to the fact that they are cheap and readily available, they are making millions of Naira on a daily basis from sales and despite repeated concessions and extensions granted by NAFDAC, the manufacturers and sellers continue to resist compliance. Now, their objections are framed around job losses and economic impact. But beneath the rhetoric lies a troubling reality: profit is being placed above public safety.

Rather than respect a regulation enacted squarely in the public interest, some industry players have resorted to aggressive lobbying; arguing that sachet alcohol improves affordability and moderates consumption. Some civil society organisations, lawmakers, and government officials are now actively working for the distillers to defend the ill-motivated production regardless of whether the consumers continue to die slowly and steadily. In fact, their lobbying paid off in December last year, when the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation issued a directive to NAFDAC to stop further enforcement relating to the ban on sachet alcohol products. Terrence Kuanum, Special Adviser on Public Affairs to the SGF, who issued the statement stated that the SGF is “looking into the matter in line with its statutory coordinating role as Chairman of the Cabinet Secretariat.’’ Accordingly, the OSGF “directs that all actions, decisions, or enforcement measures relating to the proposed sachet alcohol ban be suspended pending the conclusion of consultations and the issuance of a final directive by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.”

The statement further clarified that “any action or enforcement undertaken by NAFDAC or any other agency on this matter without due clearance and resolution by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation is of no effect and should be disregarded by the public until a final decision is formally communicated.” A government institution fighting its own agency. That can only happen in Nigeria. 

NAFDAC has since ignored the directive and has gone ahead with the enforcement of the ban, citing the relevant laws that established the agency. With the support of the Senate, the agency has actually shown that it can both bark and bite. On January 2nd this year, NAFDAC staff went all out on its enforcement of the ban. The enforcement has since sparked several protests and agitations by the manufacturers, who are insisting that the ban threatened 500,000 direct employees, disrupted about five million indirect jobs across the value chain, as well as wiped out a N1.9trn investment. 

While these may be true, health experts warn that children exposed to alcohol consumption early in life are highly prone to becoming lifelong alcoholics, with their bodies becoming adapted to alcohol intake from a young age. It is a known fact that early alcohol consumption exposes children to a dangerous path that includes organ damage, compromised immune systems, school truancy, criminal associations, risky sexual behaviours, and potential graduation to hard drugs like cannabis and methamphetamine. A 2021 survey conducted by NAFDAC in collaboration with the Distillers and Blenders Association of Nigeria revealed that 54.3 per cent of minors and underaged children buy these affordable and accessible alcohol for themselves from various sources across the country, with 47.2 per cent of minors and 48.8 per cent of underaged children procuring drinks in sachets.

But the huge profits from the manufacturing of these drinks have made it practically impossible for the distillers to let go. The distillers, backed by labour unions, are still saying that the timing and enforcement approach was wrong. The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) and the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) are also arguing that the ban lacks robust scientific backing and threatens economic activity within the local beverages industry. NECA has called for an evidence-based regulatory approach, warning that policy decisions that ignore economic realities could harm businesses and livelihoods.

Labour unions have echoed similar concerns. The Trade Union Congress-affiliated Food, Beverage, and Tobacco Senior Staff Association claims that the ban could result in millions of job losses and wipe out billions of Naira in investment, especially amongst indigenous producers who rely on sachet formats for much of their output. Civil society organisations sympathetic to consumers have even threatened protests and legal action, accusing NAFDAC of misrepresenting facts to justify the ban and undermining workers’ rights. In fact, since last week, they have carried out their threat by organising street protests in front of the NAFDAC office in Lagos. 

The manufacturers are advocating for alternative measures such as stricter age enforcement and better labelling in place of an outright ban. These arguments however ring hollow in a country where regulatory enforcement is already overstretched and routinely undermined.

These conflicting reactions reflect the complex balance between public health and economic interests. While NAFDAC and health advocates frame the ban as essential for protecting children and reducing alcohol abuse, industry stakeholders warn of far-reaching consequences for jobs, small traders, and the informal economy. As Nigeria continues to grapple with rising consumption of alcohol among young people, with reports suggesting up to one in four underage individuals drinking daily, the debate over sachet alcohol, which began since 2018, is likely to continue. The key question remains: can Nigeria craft policies that protect its youth without crippling local industries?

Beyond the heated exchanges and street-level anxieties, there is a compelling case for Nigerians to support NAFDAC’s ban on sachet and small-volume alcohol, even while acknowledging the real economic pain expressed by workers, traders, and manufacturers. Public policy, particularly in health, is rarely painless, but it is often necessary. First, it is important to stress that NAFDAC did not arrive at this decision overnight. The agency has consistently clarified that discussions and engagements around sachet alcohol regulation date back to 2018, when concerns about rising underage drinking, alcohol abuse, and the health and social consequences of cheap alcohol became impossible to ignore. The ban was designed as a phased intervention, giving manufacturers time to adapt, diversify packaging, and retool their business models. That timeline weakens arguments that the current enforcement is sudden or arbitrary.

However, economic hardship alone cannot override overwhelming public health concerns. NAFDAC insists that its position is rooted in evidence pointing to the dangers of sachet alcohol: its extreme affordability, ease of concealment, and widespread availability to minors. Health experts warn that these factors fuel early alcohol initiation, addiction, mental health disorders, road accidents, violence, and long-term non-communicable diseases. The costs borne by families, communities, and the healthcare system are often invisible but devastating.

For manufacturers, the ban should be seen not only as a restriction, but also as a call for innovation. Industries globally have survived regulatory shocks by rethinking packaging, targeting new markets, improving branding, and diversifying product lines. Nigerian alcohol companies are not exempt from this reality. Creative adaptation rather than resistance offers a more sustainable path forward. Crucially, the debate should not be framed as jobs versus health. A population damaged by addiction, illness, and premature death cannot sustain long-term economic growth. Protecting young people and vulnerable groups is an investment in a healthier, more productive workforce.

It is not only Nigeria that is experiencing children having access to alcohol, but more than 10 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. Countries such as Cameroon, Uganda, Malawi, Tanzania, Cote D’Ivoire, Zambia, Rwanda, Senegal and South Africa are having similar challenges. However, the good news is that most of these countries have banned the production of alcohol in sachets.  

Alcohol misuse is a major global health threat, associated with more than 200 burden of disease and injury conditions according to statistics by the World Health Organization (WHO). Similarly, the WHO indicates packing alcohol in small sachets has become a widespread problem in Africa and has both significant social and economic negative impacts on individuals and society. The WHO estimates that approximately three million deaths worldwide resulted from harmful use of alcohol in 2016 alone. 

Globally, the African region has the highest age-standardized alcohol-attributable burden of disease and injury. Factors related to underage drinking in sub-Saharan Africa include peer pressure, role modelling by parents and family members as well as poor social and coping skills. Alcohol intake amongstadolescents is associated with lower academic achievement, school drop-out, risky sexual behaviour, poor health outcomes, and a high likelihood of alcohol dependency in adulthood. Alcohol in sachets forms a bulk of the illicit alcohol which is unregistered, contributing to high consumption and local revenue. 

Now is the time for Nigeria to take a bold step and make up its mind on the health and wellness of its citizens or profits from their destruction and deaths. We should be ready to bear the consequences of whatever we choose in the near future. We already have an epidemic of young ones and middle-aged citizens who are always high from alcohol and drug abuse and if that is the kind of nation we intend to nurture, then I can only wish us good luck.

See you next week.

• Akintunde is a journalist and columnist