NAFDAC: Sachet Alcohol Is Responsible For Banditry, Road Accidents & Suicides

ABUJA – Prof. Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye, Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), has declared that excessive alcohol intake has become a major national security threat, directly linked to the surge in banditry, fatal road accidents and rising youth suicides across Nigeria.

NaijaChoice News reports that the NAFDAC boss dropped the bombshell during a press briefing in Abuja on Tuesday, March 3, 2026, while flagging off a joint nationwide campaign with the National Orientation Agency (NOA) and Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) to enforce the total ban on sachet and small-volume alcohol packs.

“In our country, alcohol is responsible for banditry. Excessive consumption also contributes to road accidents, youth suicides, and others,” Prof. Adeyeye stated emphatically.

She explained that the cheap, pocket-sized sachets and small PET bottles have made alcohol too accessible to teenagers and even children, turning what should be an adult indulgence into a dangerous social epidemic.

Citing fresh data, the NAFDAC chief revealed that 54.3 percent of minors and underage persons now buy alcohol themselves, with nearly 50 percent sourcing it from sachet and small-bottle sellers. The problem is worse in states like Rivers, Lagos and Kaduna, where sachet purchases among young people hit as high as 68 percent in some areas. Rural communities record higher figures than urban centres, and boys consume more than girls.

Prof. Adeyeye warned that alcohol before age 21 damages the developing brain – especially the hippocampus (memory) and prefrontal cortex (decision-making) – leading to lifelong issues with learning, impulse control, depression and higher risk of addiction. She added that early drinkers face 41 percent higher chance of becoming dependent later in life.

“Alcohol contributes significantly to youth suicides, violent deaths, road accidents, murders and car crashes. It is also closely associated with unprotected sex, unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections,” she said.

The NAFDAC boss further linked intoxication to broader crimes, noting that alcohol plays a major role in kidnappings, banditry, terrorism and other daily security challenges confronting the country.

The warning comes as the Federal Government, backed by a Senate resolution, has set December 31, 2025, as the final deadline for full enforcement of the ban on production, sale and distribution of alcoholic beverages in sachets and bottles below 200ml – with no further extension allowed.

NOA Director-General Lanre Issa-Onilu, who hosted the campaign launch at the NOA headquarters in Abuja, described the move as a decisive step to protect Nigerian children from “cheap and easily accessible alcohol” that is destroying lives and futures.

NAFDAC is already collaborating with security agencies, state governments and other regulators to raid illegal production sites and seize unregulated products, while the NOA will deploy its officers across all 774 local government areas for massive grassroots sensitisation using town halls, market outreaches, radio, TV and the NOA CLHEEAN App for citizens to report violators.

Prof. Adeyeye stressed that reducing excessive alcohol consumption is now critical for public health, road safety and overall national security.

“Parents, guardians, retailers, distributors and community leaders must all rise to this challenge. The time for excuses is over,” she added.