The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has warned that indiscriminate alcohol consumption poses a serious threat to Nigerians, linking alcohol use to banditry and warning of its damaging effects on the body.

NAFDAC Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, raised the alarm during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Wednesday.

According to Adeyeye, alcohol can damage vital organs, including the brain, lungs, kidneys and liver, while also posing a threat to the future of Nigerian children and the country’s workforce.

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The NAFDAC boss was speaking in defence of the agency’s enforcement of the ban on alcoholic drinks sold in sachets and PET bottles of less than 200 millilitres.

She explained that sachet alcohol was approved about three decades ago but eventually became difficult to control.

“But this monster became uncontrollable. This monster stood out to destroy the future of our workforce, of our children.”

Adeyeye said NAFDAC had taken decisive action to curb the production and distribution of such products, including shutting down three major companies for three weeks and taking enforcement action against individuals involved.

She acknowledged that the ban had faced resistance from some stakeholders, noting that some people demonstrated against the policy in Ibadan.

However, she maintained that the agency’s priority was to protect public health and prevent the long-term consequences of alcohol abuse.

The NAFDAC DG said the National Alcohol Policy launched by the Ministry of Health also includes a ban on sachet alcohol and alcohol sold in PET bottles below 200ml.

She said some Nigerians were focused on the immediate economic impact of the restrictions without considering the long-term consequences.

“They were demonstrating because they are seeing the situation now; they are not seeing into the future that alcohol destroys the brain, it destroys the lungs, it destroys the kidneys, the liver; it encourages banditry,” Adeyeye said.

She added that manufacturers had been required to sign undertakings not to produce alcoholic drinks in sachets or small bottles below the approved threshold.

Adeyeye maintained that although the measures had generated pushback, the agency would continue enforcing the restrictions in what she described as an effort to safeguard the health and future of Nigerians.

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has clarified that fresh farm produce such as yam, oranges and apples are not under the agency’s direct regulatory control.

NAFDAC Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, explained that the agency regulates processed and semi-processed products, while naturally grown agricultural produce falls under the control of the Ministry of Agriculture.

Adeyeye made the clarification during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Wednesday.

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“In terms of sister agencies, the civil service is amazing; people like to work in silos. ‘This is my turf, don’t go there.’ No, we are supposed to work corporately.

“For example, the National Food and Safety Policy said that produce from the farm is not under the control of NAFDAC. NAFDAC is in control of semi-processed products,” the NAFDAC DG stated.

She further explained that fresh agricultural products such as apples and oranges are not within NAFDAC’s direct mandate at the farm-produce stage.

“So, in the social media thing that we responded to, they said apples, NAFDAC; oranges, NAFDAC. No, that is under the Ministry of Agriculture, but we are supposed to work together because it is that produce that can be processed, which is under our control.”

Adeyeye, a professor, added: “So, when you take your oranges in the morning, you take your apple, that is not NAFDAC, but everything is about NAFDAC — yam is NAFDAC; fufu is NAFDAC. No.”

The clarification comes amid growing concerns over food safety in Nigeria, particularly allegations surrounding the use of potentially harmful chemicals in the production, preservation and processing of food items.

The NAFDAC DG’s comments also came days after former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo recalled in a viral video how laboratory testing reportedly showed that fresh juice squeezed from oranges by his wife was unsafe for consumption.

While speaking at an Open Day for Gardeners’ seminar themed “Leaving The Earth Better Than We Found It,” Osinbajo reportedly recounted that his wife began experiencing strange headaches after drinking her fresh orange juice every day.

The Benue State Government has denied any involvement in the reported blockade of the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, during his visit to the state.

The Commissioner for Information and Culture, Solomon Lorpev, said the government was not officially informed about Obi’s visit and described the failure to notify the state authorities as a breach of protocol.

Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Wednesday, Lorpev rejected claims that Governor Hyacinth Alia or his administration sent people to prevent Obi from travelling within the state.

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According to the commissioner, the government only became aware of the incident after reports emerged that Obi’s convoy had been stopped along the Makurdi-Gboko federal highway.

Lorpev argued that Obi, being a former governor and presidential candidate, should have informed the state government of his arrival because of the security implications surrounding his movement.

He said the police could not be regarded as acting on behalf of the governor simply because Obi’s party had informed the police of his planned visit.

The commissioner also challenged individuals alleging that government appointees were behind the blockade to provide evidence.

He maintained that the state government was investigating the incident and would issue a statement once the facts were established.

The controversy followed Obi’s arrival in Makurdi on Tuesday for a planned visit to Yelewata, where he intended to sympathise with families affected by the deadly June 2025 attacks.

Obi arrived at the Tactical Air Command airport in Makurdi at about 9 a.m. and was received by NDC governorship candidate Terhemba Shija and other party officials.

However, his convoy reportedly encountered a roadblock mounted by youths along the Makurdi-Gboko federal highway shortly after leaving the airport.

The blockade reportedly caused traffic congestion after the road was closed to motorists.

Reacting to the incident, Obi described the development as “very worrisome” and condemned the use of youths to perpetrate political violence.

He said he had travelled to Yelewata to console victims and show solidarity with families affected by the killings.

The incident has since triggered renewed debate over political freedom, security arrangements and the responsibilities of state authorities during visits by prominent political figures.

While the Benue Government continues to deny responsibility for the blockade, it says its investigation will establish the circumstances surrounding the incident and determine whether any government officials were involved.