The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the National Orientation Agency (NOA), have raised serious concerns over the excessive consumption of alcohol fueling criminal activities including banditry and kidnapping across the country.
Director-General of NAFDAC, Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye, disclosed this in Abuja, during a joint press briefing on the dangers of underage consumption of alcohol packaged in sachets and small PET bottles.
The briefing also marked the official flag-off of a Joint Nationwide Campaign involving NAFDAC, NOA and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission aimed at enforcing the Federal Government’s ban on sachet alcoholic drinks in Nigeria.
Alcohol Linked to Crime, Violence
Adeyeye warned that early exposure to alcohol among minors has far-reaching consequences extending beyond health concerns to national security challenges.
According to her, youths who begin drinking alcohol before the age of 15 are 41 per cent more likely to develop alcohol dependence, often progressing to the abuse of harder drugs such as cocaine and other narcotics.
“Alcohol consumption among youths has been identified as a major contributing factor to violence, youth suicides, homicides and motor vehicle crashes,” she said.
She added that risky behaviours associated with underage drinking also expose young persons to unprotected sexual activity, unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections.
She said: “Alcohol consumption among youths has been identified as a major contributing factor to violence, youth suicides, homicides, and motor vehicle crashes. Risky behaviours associated with underage drinking also increase exposure to unprotected sexual activity, unwanted pregnancies, and sexually transmitted infections.
“Drinking often leads to lower grades, misclasses, and impaired cognitive function. In our country, it is responsible for banditry. It is responsible for kidnapping. You cannot be in your right mind and point a gun at somebody. It starts from alcohol and then goes on to hard drugs.”
She noted that the alarming trend informed Senate resolutions passed on November 6, 2025, directing strict enforcement of the ban on alcohol packaged in sachets and containers below 200 millilitres. The resolutions were later transmitted to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation on December 1, 2025.
The NAFDAC boss disclosed that alcohol remains one of the most widely abused substances among Nigerian youths, describing the situation as a growing public health emergency.
According to her, a nationwide survey conducted in 2021 through collaboration between NAFDAC and the Distillers and Blenders Association of Nigeria revealed disturbing patterns of alcohol access and consumption among minors.
“The study, carried out across the six geopolitical zones with 1,788 respondents, showed that 54.3 per cent of minors obtain alcohol by themselves, while nearly half patronise retailers selling alcohol in sachets and small PET bottles due to affordability and ease of concealment.
“Findings also indicated that minors frequently access alcohol through friends, relatives, social gatherings and even family homes. Consumption data revealed that 63.2 per cent of minors and 54 per cent of underaged persons consume alcohol occasionally, while a significant number engage in daily or weekly drinking.
“Binge drinking cases were highest in Gombe, the Federal Capital Territory and Anambra states, underscoring the nationwide spread of the problem.
“Health and Social Consequences
NAFDAC warned that underage drinking can permanently damage brain development, particularly areas responsible for memory, learning and impulse control.
“Other risks include alcohol poisoning, liver and kidney damage, hypertension, mental health disorders, addiction and increased cancer risk later in life.
“Behaviourally, alcohol abuse has been linked to violence, road accidents, risky sexual behaviour, declining academic performance and broader social instability.
Nationwide Sensitisation Begins.”
In his remarks, Director-General of NOA, Lanre Issa-Onilu, described the campaign as a decisive national intervention to safeguard Nigerian youths.
He said the Federal Government’s ban on production and sale of alcohol in sachets and bottles below 200ml, effective January 1, 2026, was designed to curb easy access to cheap, high-concentration alcohol.
Issa-Onilu said: “For too long, sachet alcohol has been inexpensive, portable and easy to conceal, making it readily accessible to young people.
“No nation prospers when its youth are trapped in cycles of preventable addiction. Protecting our children today is an investment in Nigeria’s productivity and security tomorrow.”
Issa-Onilu explained that NOA would deploy its nationwide network covering all 774 local government areas to drive behavioural change through community engagements, media campaigns, schools, markets, transport unions and faith-based institutions.
He stressed that the initiative aligns regulation, consumer protection and public enlightenment to achieve lasting social impact.
He also called on the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to support implementation and fast-track the National Alcohol Policy prohibiting alcohol packaging below 200ml.
Issa-Onilu noted that protecting young Nigerians from substance abuse is essential to national stability.
The agencies called on parents, community leaders, retailers and citizens to support enforcement efforts and comply fully with the ban as part of collective responsibility toward building a healthier and safer society.