The National Orientation Agency (NOA) and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) have launched a nationwide enforcement and sensitisation campaign on the ban of sachet alcoholic drinks following alarming data on rising underage alcohol consumption.
The campaign, flagged off Tuesday at NOA headquarters in Abuja in collaboration with the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), seeks to curb access to cheap and easily concealed alcoholic beverages by minors.
NAFDAC Director-General, Mojisola Adeyeye, cited findings from a 2021 national survey which revealed that 54.3 per cent of minors procure alcohol themselves, with nearly half purchasing sachets and small PET bottles from retailers.
The survey showed that 47.2 per cent of minors prefer sachet packs, while significant numbers also buy PET and glass bottles. It further revealed that many minors access alcohol through friends, social gatherings and even their parents’ homes.
On consumption trends, 63.2 per cent of minors drink occasionally, while 9.3 per cent consume alcohol daily. The study also recorded binge drinking among underaged respondents, with notable prevalence in Gombe, the Federal Capital Territory and Anambra states.
Adeyeye attributed the trend to peer pressure, parental influence, emotional distress, easy access and exposure to alcohol advertising.
She warned that underage drinking poses serious risks including brain damage, addiction, mental health disorders, poor academic performance, violence and road accidents.
She referenced a Senate resolution urging strict enforcement of the ban and expressed confidence that eliminating small, easily concealed pack sizes would significantly reduce underage access.
Also speaking at the event, NOA Director-General, Lanre Issa-Onilu, described the initiative as a united front to protect young Nigerians and promote responsible market practices.
He recalled that the Federal Government, through NAFDAC, banned the production and sale of alcoholic beverages in sachets, as well as in PET and glass bottles below 200 millilitres, effective January 1, 2026, as a public health intervention.
“Sachet alcohol is cheap, portable and easy to conceal. Prevention is better than cure,” Issa-Onilu said, stressing that government has a constitutional and moral duty to act before alcohol abuse causes deeper social and health crises.
Under the arrangement, NAFDAC will spearhead regulatory enforcement, FCCPC will ensure compliance with consumer protection standards, while NOA will drive grassroots sensitisation across its 818 offices in the 774 local government areas nationwide.
Both agencies called on parents, guardians, retailers and community leaders to support the enforcement drive to safeguard Nigeria’s youth and promote healthier communities nationwide.
