NAFDAC says ban on alcohol in sachets stands

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) NAFDAC, has reiterated that the ban on the sale and consumption of sachet alcoholic beverages in Nigeria has not been lifted.

The Director-General of NAFDAC, Mojisola Adeyeye, made this known in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja, reaffirming the ban.

The statement contradicts the previous announcement made by the House of Representatives stating that the ban had been suspended.

Mrs Adeyeye admitted that there was a meeting with the legislators on the matter but said no final decision was made, adding that the ban remains pending further deliberations and a conclusion.

She said: “The ban on sachet alcohol is a ministerial directive and the ban remains until the ministers respond. The meeting last week Thursday is a continuation of the discussion.

“The outcome of the meeting is that the ministers should write a memorandum to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the House, and the representative of the Speaker, Jake Dan-Azumi, then said we should continue the discussion after the recess of the House members in July. So, the discussion continues.”

Decisions

A member of the House of Representatives, Philip Agbese, announced Friday that the House and NAFDAC had agreed to lift the ban on the sale and consumption of sachet alcoholic beverages in the country.

Mr Agbese said a temporary lifting of the ban on sachet alcoholic beverages was agreed upon following a meeting between the House Committee and NAFDAC officials.

According to him, the ban will be reinstated when the economy recovers.

Backstory

NAFDAC on 1 February commenced the enforcement of the ban on the importation, manufacturing, distribution, sale, and use of alcoholic beverages in sachets, PET, and glass bottles of 200ml and below.

According to the DG, the decision was based on the recommendation of a high-powered committee of the Federal Ministry of Health, NAFDAC, Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, and the industry represented by the Association of Food, Beverages and Tobacco Employers, Distillers and Blenders Association of Nigeria, in December 2018.

The enforcement of the ban led to a protest by distillers and labour unions, who argued that it would result in the loss of 500,000 jobs and the destruction of N800 billion in investments.

Deliberations

Mrs Adeyeye further clarified in the statement that the agency is acting on a ministerial directive and the ban on alcoholic beverages remains in effect, pending a response from the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate.

“The outcome of the meeting is that the ministers should write a memo to the Speaker and the representative of the Speaker, Jake Dan-Azumi, then said we should continue the discussion after the recess of the House members in July. So, the discussion continues,” the statement reads in part.

“The Agency was again advised to suspend the ban, and I responded by saying that it was a ministerial directive and that I had not received any directive from the Coordinating Minister to suspend the ban.”

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Mrs Adeyeye said following the meeting, she reported the outcome to both Mr Pate and his minister of state counterpart, Tunji Alausa.

She reiterated that the ban on alcoholic beverages will remain in place until further guidance is received from the relevant ministers.