The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has raised alarm over the prevalence of alcohol Abuse by under aged children, noting that one in four children consiume alcohol daily.
In a new national survey conducted by the Agency which was made public Tuesday by the Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye, she noted that the data exposed “a disturbing ease of access” to alcoholic beverages by children and called for urgent action to curb availability.
According to NAFDAC, more than half of Nigerian minors and underaged children now purchase alcohol on their own, with cheap sachets and small plastic bottles, driving a dangerous rise in underage drinking across the country.
The study showed that 54.3 per cent of minors and underaged persons obtained alcohol by themselves, while nearly one in four consumes alcohol daily, underscoring what regulators describe as an escalating public health threat.
“Alcohol consumption among minors should raise serious concern for parents, teachers, religious leaders and the wider community. When children can freely buy alcohol packaged in small, easily concealed sizes, society must recognise that regulation has failed at a critical point” she warned.
The survey, sponsored by the Distillers and Blenders Association of Nigeria and conducted by Research and Data Solutions Ltd, Abuja, covered 1,788 respondents across six states representing Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones between June and August 2021.
It found that 49.9 per cent of minors and underaged persons accessed alcohol through sachet drinks and PET bottles, while others obtained it from friends and relatives (49.9 per cent), social gatherings (45.9 per cent), and even parents’ homes (21.7 per cent).
According to the report, sachets and small bottles were especially prevalent in Rivers, Lagos and Kaduna states, with rural areas and male minors recording higher usage rates.
Adeyeye stated that, “Pack sizes matter, the availability of sachets and bottles below 200 millilitres makes alcohol easier to hide, easier to share, and easier for children to abuse.”
The frequency of consumption also raised fresh concerns. While 54 per cent of respondents were occasional drinkers, the data revealed that 24 per cent drink alcohol daily, including 9.3 per cent of minors and 25.2 per cent of underaged children.
In contrast, adults were more likely to drink occasionally or daily, pointing to early initiation patterns that could fuel long-term addiction, health complications and social problems.
Public health experts warn that early exposure to alcohol has been linked to impaired brain development, risky behaviour and dependence later in life.
Based on the findings, NAFDAC renewed its call for stricter controls on alcohol packaging and retail practices, particularly the sale of sachets and small-volume bottles.
“A ban on small pack sizes can significantly reduce underage drinking. If access is restricted, consumption will decline,” Adeyeye maintained.
NAFDAC said it would continue working with industry groups, community leaders and law-enforcement agencies to protect minors and safeguard public health, as it reaffirmed its mandate, declaring that protecting children from alcohol abuse remains central to its mission of “Safeguarding the Health of the Nation.”