The Federal Government has directed the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to suspend all enforcement actions relating to the proposed ban on sachet alcohol and 200ml PET bottle alcoholic products.
The directive was contained in a statement issued on Wednesday by the Special Adviser on Public Affairs to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Terrence Kuanum.
The order followed a joint intervention by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the Office of the National Security Adviser, which raised concerns over the security implications of continued enforcement in the absence of a fully implemented National Alcohol Policy.
The government also warned the agency to immediately stop sealing factories and warehouses over the issue pending the final consultations and implementation of the National Alcohol Policy and the issuance of a final directive.
The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) and the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) had warned that a ban on alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets and small PET bottles could wipe out over N400 billion investments across the alcoholic beverages value chain.
