The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) says it will continue enforcing the ban on sachet and 200ml PET bottle alcoholic drinks.
NAFDAC director-general, Mojisola Adeyeye, spoke to journalists on Friday after manufacturers and union members protested at the agency’s Lagos office.
The protesters carried placards urging the federal government to stop NAFDAC’s ongoing enforcement of the ban on sachet and small-sized alcoholic beverages.
Mrs Adeyeye said the enforcement was backed by law, stressing that only a change in legislation could compel the agency to halt its actions.
She said reasons advanced by the protesters would not deter the agency from carrying out its statutory responsibilities.
“We told them clearly that we will continue the enforcement because it is backed by the law.
“The legislature makes the laws and directs us to regulate manufacture, importation, distribution, sale and use of alcohol.
“So, if the law changes and says we should not regulate alcohol, we will stop. Only the law can stop us from doing our duties,” she said.
Mrs Adeyeye said the ban aligned with global health standards and Sustainable Development Goal 3.5 on reducing harmful alcohol consumption.
She said manufacturers were given a five-year moratorium, with an additional one-year extension, to adjust production and business plans.
The director-general warned that easy access to alcohol by children could lead to substance abuse and long-term health problems.
She added that excessive alcohol consumption by adults could cause liver damage and other serious health risks.
Mrs Adeyeye urged parents to monitor their children and called on community and religious leaders to support NAFDAC’s public health campaign.
“No Nigerian has the right to make money at the expense of another person’s health,” she said.
(NAN)