The groups, operating under the Nigeria Civil Society Convening on Alcohol Policy Advocacy Action, made the demand in Abuja on Tuesday, calling on lawmakers to prioritise the bill before the expiration of the current Assembly’s tenure.
The call was contained in a communiqué issued after a one-day advocacy meeting organised by the Renevlyn Development Initiative (RDI) and Motivator’s Crib Africa (MCA) in Abuja on November 2, 2026.
The organisations said the proposed legislation would establish a comprehensive legal framework for regulating alcohol marketing, strengthening enforcement and protecting vulnerable populations from alcohol-related harm.
They warned that the ongoing electioneering season should not be allowed to delay legislative action on what they described as an urgent public health concern.
The communiqué identified children and young people as particularly vulnerable to alcohol marketing through digital advertising, lifestyle branding and campaigns that present alcohol consumption as a normal part of social activities.
Citing a recent survey by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), the groups said about 50 per cent of Nigerian children as young as nine years were reportedly exposed to or engaged in alcohol consumption.
They also expressed concern over the availability of cheap, easily concealed sachet alcohol and miniature bottles, which they said had increased access to alcoholic products among children and young people despite regulatory efforts to restrict their sale.
The organisations alleged that some producers and distributors continued to manufacture and circulate sachet and miniature alcohol products in defiance of existing restrictions, calling on the Federal Government to strengthen nationwide enforcement.
On the health implications, the groups cited figures from the World Health Organisation’s Global Status Report on Alcohol and Health, attributing 42,120 liver cirrhosis deaths, 15,365 road accident deaths and 4,687 cancer-related deaths in Nigeria to alcohol.
They said the consequences extended beyond preventable deaths to increased pressure on healthcare services, reduced workforce productivity, loss of human capital and rising cases of violence.
The communiqué further accused alcohol industry operators of using political interference, corporate social responsibility activities and aggressive marketing, particularly on digital platforms, to undermine public health interventions.
The groups argued that measures introduced by the Federal Ministry of Health and agencies such as NAFDAC required stronger legislative backing to ensure consistent implementation and enforcement.
They identified weak coordination among government agencies as another major obstacle to effective regulation, noting that Nigeria’s alcohol policy framework, including the Nigeria Alcohol Policy and its Multisectoral Implementation Plan for 2026–2030, needed binding statutory provisions.
The organisations therefore called on lawmakers to establish clear enforcement mechanisms and appropriate penalties, while protecting alcohol policy development from undue commercial influence.
They insisted that decisions affecting public health should be guided by independent scientific evidence and the interests of Nigerians rather than commercial considerations.
On road safety, the groups advocated stronger collaboration among relevant agencies to enforce drink-driving regulations, introduce adequate sobriety testing and improve monitoring at motor parks to prevent alcohol-related crashes, injuries and deaths.
They also called for sustained public awareness campaigns on the dangers of alcohol consumption and greater participation by civil society organisations in policy development, public hearings and implementation.
The communiqué claimed that 74 per cent of Nigerians live free from alcohol consumption, but warned that industry marketing strategies were increasingly challenging existing social and cultural patterns by targeting social milestones, identity groups and digital platforms.
The organisations acknowledged that civil society groups needed a more coordinated approach to challenge what they described as deceptive marketing practices and attempts to frustrate government decisions on alcohol regulation.
The meeting brought together representatives of civil society organisations to examine alcohol consumption patterns, the activities of multinational alcohol companies and the health and economic consequences of alcohol use.
Among the signatories were RDI, MCA, the Initiative for Community Development and Advancement of Social Orientation, Centre for the Study of the Economies of Africa, Cedars Refuge Foundation, Association of Advocates Against Alcohol Harm in Nigeria and Women in Extractives.
The groups maintained that passing the National Alcohol Control Bill would strengthen Nigeria’s capacity to protect children, women and other vulnerable populations from alcohol-related harm.
