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The Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Mojisola Adeyeye, has raised alarm over rising underage drinking in Nigeria, revealing that more than half of minors purchase alcohol on their own.
Mrs Adeyeye disclosed this at a joint press briefing by NAFDAC and the National Orientation Agency (NOA) in Abuja on Tuesday.
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In a statement issued after the briefing, she described alcohol as one of the most widely abused substances among youths, noting that increased availability, production, importation and consumption across age groups have worsened access among minors.
National survey findings
Citing a 2021 national survey conducted in collaboration with the Distillers and Blenders Association of Nigeria (DIBAN), the NAFDAC boss said the findings showed alarming levels of access and consumption among underaged persons.
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The survey, sponsored by DIBAN and carried out by Research and Data Solutions Ltd, Abuja, between June and August 2021, involved 1,788 respondents across six states representing the country’s six geo-political zones.
According to the findings, 54.3 per cent of minors and underaged respondents obtain alcohol themselves. About 49.9 per cent patronise retailers selling drinks in sachets and PET bottles.
Similarly, 49.9 per cent access alcohol from friends and relatives, 45.9 per cent at social gatherings, and 21.7 per cent from their parents’ homes.
Smaller proportions purchase from liquor stores (15.4 per cent), restaurants (12.6 per cent) and supermarkets (7.9 per cent).
Among those who buy alcohol themselves, 47.2 per cent of minors and 48.8 per cent of underaged respondents purchase drinks in sachets. Likewise, 41.2 per cent of minors and 47.2 per cent of underaged respondents buy alcohol in PET bottles, while 27.6 per cent of underaged respondents purchase drinks in glass bottles.
Procurement of sachet and PET bottles was highest in Rivers, Lagos and Kaduna states. Sachet purchases were more common among males (51.4 per cent) than females (41.5 per cent), and slightly higher in rural areas (50.1 per cent) than urban locations (45.3 per cent).
Frequency, binge drinking
The survey showed that 54 per cent of respondents were occasional drinkers, 24 per cent consumed alcohol daily and 11 per cent drank at least once a week.
Among minors, 63.2 per cent drink occasionally, while 9.3 per cent consume alcohol daily. For underaged respondents, 54 per cent drink occasionally and 25.2 per cent drink daily.
On binge drinking, 2.5 per cent of minors and 11.7 per cent of underaged children reported having engaged in it, with higher prevalence recorded in Gombe (16.3 per cent), the Federal Capital Territory (15 per cent) and Anambra (14.4 per cent).
Peer pressure emerged as the leading driver of alcohol consumption, cited by 50.5 per cent of respondents. Other reasons included influence from parents and relatives (34.8 per cent), personal choice (34.2 per cent), and feelings of sadness or depression (34 per cent).
Additional contributing factors identified were peer group influence (74.5 per cent), youth culture (49.4 per cent), parents and family relations (39.7 per cent), social media exposure (36.4 per cent), accessibility of alcohol outlets (32.6 per cent), perceived gaps in government regulation (22.7 per cent), and advertisement of alcoholic beverages (20.7 per cent).
Ms Adeyeye warned that alcohol consumption during adolescence can damage parts of the brain responsible for memory, learning and impulse control. It also increases the risk of alcohol poisoning, liver and kidney damage, hypertension and long-term addiction.
She added that early alcohol use is associated with depression, anxiety, poor academic performance, risky sexual behaviour, unwanted pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections and road crashes.
Senate resolutions
The NAFDAC boss said the findings reinforced Senate resolutions passed on 6 November 2025 and communicated to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation on 1 December 2025.
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The Senate urged NAFDAC not to grant further extension to the moratorium on sachet alcohol and alcoholic beverages in small PET bottles of less than 200ml, and to ensure strict enforcement of the ban.
Lawmakers also called on the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to support the enforcement and release the National Alcohol Policy, which includes prohibition of alcohol in sachets and small-volume packaging.
They further urged NAFDAC and NOA to intensify nationwide sensitisation on the dangers of alcohol sold in small packs.
Ms Adeyeye concluded that limiting easily concealable pack sizes could significantly reduce underage drinking.
“Access to alcohol by children can be limited if pack sizes such as sachets and small volume bottles are not available,” she stated, reaffirming NAFDAC’s commitment to safeguarding public health in collaboration with NOA.
