The Federal Government has launched the Nigeria Alcohol Policy, a new national framework designed to curb alcohol-related harm while supporting responsible growth in the alcohol industry. Unveiled in Abuja by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the policy and its accompanying Multisectoral Implementation Plan will run from 2026 to 2030.
Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, said the policy treats alcohol as more than a regulatory issue, describing it as a national development matter that touches public health, industry and governance. He noted that alcohol supports manufacturing, agriculture and pharmaceutical value chains, but harmful use also drives disease, injury, violence, mental health problems and lost productivity.
Citing World Health Organisation data, Pate disclosed that Nigerians aged 15 and above consumed an average of 3.2 litres of pure alcohol per person in 2024. He also linked alcohol misuse to Nigeria’s road safety crisis, noting that the Federal Road Safety Corps recorded 9,570 crashes and 5,421 deaths that year, with drink-driving identified as a contributing factor.
The policy also targets illicit alcohol, with industry estimates suggesting about 40 percent of spirits and wines sold in Nigeria are illicit or unrecorded, costing government more than ₦428 billion in lost revenue annually. Enforcing traceability and standards is expected to protect both public health and government revenue.
In a related development announced at the event, the Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, revealed that manufacturers have agreed to stop producing sachet alcohol, a product widely associated with underage and high-risk drinking.
The policy rests on four pillars: harm reduction and health promotion, industrial and economic development, multisectoral coordination, and monitoring and accountability. Pate said the policy’s success will not be judged by its launch, but by measurable outcomes of healthier people, safer roads and a more accountable alcohol industry by 2030.
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