The Federal Government has ordered the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to immediate cease all enforcement actions regarding the ban on sachet alcohol and 200ml PET bottle products.

The directive, a joint intervention by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation OSGF and the Office of the National Security Adviser ONSA, cited grave concerns over economic stability and potential security threats.

Both offices warned that continued enforcement, in the absence of a fully implemented National Alcohol Policy, could “destabilize communities, worsen unemployment, and trigger avoidable security challenges.”

In a statement released by Terrence Kuanum, Special Adviser on Public Affairs to the SGF, the government clarified that while the National Alcohol Policy has been signed by the Federal Ministry of Health under the direction of President Bola Tinubu, NAFDAC must refrain from sealing factories or warehouses until the policy is fully operationalised.

The SGF and NSA emphasized that the current “de facto banning” of these products without a harmonized framework is creating significant disruptions.

“The continued sealing of warehouses and de facto banning of sachet alcohol products… is already creating economic disruptions and poses a growing security threat, particularly given the impact on employment, supply chains, and informal distribution networks across the country,” the statement warned.

The OSGF further revealed that its decision was influenced by correspondence from the House of Representatives Committee on Food and Drugs Administration and Control, dated November 13, 2025.

The letter, signed by Deputy Chairman Hon. Uchenna Harris Okonkwo, highlighted existing National Assembly resolutions that cautioned against the proposed ban.

Reaffirming a previous suspension issued in December 2025, the OSGF stated its role in reviewing legislative, public health, and economic factors before a final decision is reached.

Accordingly, all actions, decisions, or enforcement measures relating to the ongoing ban on sachet alcohol are to be suspended pending the final consultations and implementation of the National Alcohol Policy and the issuance of a final directive,” the statement emphasised.

The Federal Government also took the step of declaring any unauthorized actions by NAFDAC as “invalid,” urging the public and industry stakeholders to disregard any enforcement measures not cleared by the OSGF.

The statement assured Nigerians that a “final, balanced, and lawful decision” would be communicated in due course, prioritizing public health alongside national security and economic stability.

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) on Tuesday made public presentation of the 2026 Seasonal Climate Predictions across the country.

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Keyamo, during the presentation in Abuja, analyses that a longer-than-normal rainy season in Lagos, Benue, Enugu, Ebonyi, Ogun, Oyo, Nasarawa, Anambra, Kwara, Kebbi, Kaduna, Gombe, and Taraba States this year.

Keyamo said that however, an early onset is expected in Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Benue, Kogi, Nasarawa, Oyo, and parts of Kebbi, Niger, Jigawa, Katsina, Kano, Adamawa, and Taraba States.

Said the NiMet:

“While a late onset is expected over Borno State. Rainfall cessation is anticipated to be earlier than normal in parts of Ogun, Osun, Ondo, Imo, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Kogi, and Niger States.

“However, a delayed end of season is expected in Lagos, Ogun, Anambra, Enugu, Cross River, Benue, Nasarawa, and Kaduna States.

“Whereas parts of Borno, Yobe, and Niger States are expected to have a shorter-than-normal rainy season.

A normal annual rainfall amount is anticipated in most parts of Nigeria compared to the long-term average,” the agency said.

The Nigerian Senate has passed the Electoral Act 2022 (Repeal and Reenactment) Amendment Bill 2026, retaining provisions that allow for the transmission of election results in a manner prescribed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), effectively permitting both electronic and manual methods without mandating real-time electronic upload.

In a key decision during the bill’s third reading earlier this month, senators rejected a proposed amendment to Clause 60(3) that would have required presiding officers to transmit polling unit results to INEC’s Result Viewing (IReV) portal in real time via electronic means after results are announced and forms are signed. Instead, the chamber adopted the existing language from the 2022 Electoral Act, which states that the presiding officer shall “transfer the results… in a manner as prescribed by the Commission.”

Senate leadership, including President Godswill Akpabio, has clarified that the decision does not outright reject electronic transmission, as the law already accommodates it at INEC’s discretion. They described reports of a complete ban on electronic methods as misleading, emphasizing that the amendment retains flexibility for the electoral body to use technology where feasible, while allowing manual processes as a fallback.

The move has sparked widespread controversy and public backlash, with critics—including opposition figures like former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Labour Party’s Peter Obi, civil society organizations, the Nigerian Bar Association, and the Nigerian Society of Engineers—arguing that removing the mandatory real-time electronic requirement weakens transparency, opens the door to manipulation during collation, and represents a setback for electoral integrity ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Protests erupted at the National Assembly complex, with demonstrators demanding the restoration of compulsory real-time e-transmission to curb fraud and build public trust. An emergency plenary session was convened amid mounting pressure, though the core provision on result transmission remained unchanged in the passed version.

The bill, which also includes other changes such as adjustments to election timelines, voter accreditation technology, and penalties for electoral offenses, now awaits harmonization with the House of Representatives’ version—where some reports indicate support for stronger electronic provisions—before heading to the president for assent. The outcome has intensified national debate over the future of credible elections in Nigeria.