The Rebirth Movement Nigeria has called on the Federal Government to halt enforcement of a ban on sachet alcohol and 200ml PET bottled alcoholic products. The group's President, Comrade Johnson Kolawole Michael, made the appeal during a press conference in Abuja, arguing that the enforcement contradicts the National Alcohol Policy approved by the Federal Ministry of Health. He cited a presidential directive instructing NAFDAC not to disrupt affected businesses pending the outcome of a joint committee review. The group also referenced a House of Representatives resolution that opposed the ban after stakeholder consultations and a public hearing, with lawmakers describing the restriction as "anti-people." Comrade Michael warned the policy could lead to massive job losses, disrupt businesses, and reduce government revenue. He stated the enforcement undermines President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's economic agenda, adding that sachet alcohol was designed for low-income adult consumers and should not be removed without empirical justification. The group challenged claims that small packaging encourages abuse, suggesting instead that it may promote moderation. It cautioned that banning regulated products could increase the circulation of illicit and substandard alternatives, posing greater public health risks. The Rebirth Movement Nigeria urged Secretary to the Government of the Federation George Akume to suspend enforcement and called for dialogue and due process.
NAFDAC is enforcing a ban that directly clashes with a presidential directive and a House of Representatives resolution, yet no high-level correction has come. Comrade Johnson Kolawole Michael's warning about economic fallout carries weight—thousands of jobs in the alcohol value chain now hang on a policy move that bypassed due process. If agencies can ignore coordinated government decisions, then regulatory certainty in Nigeria is a fiction. This isn't about alcohol—it's about which branch of government or agency gets to decide policy on the fly.
