NAFDAC Disowns Viral Flyer Warning Nigerians to Stop Drinking Alcohol

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has disowned a viral flyer warning Nigerians to stop consuming alcoholic beverages, insisting that the publication did not originate from the agency.

NAFDAC made the clarification in a statement posted on its official X account on Sunday, urging members of the public to disregard the claims and avoid circulating the material.

The flyer, titled Urgent Public Health Warning: Stop Drinking Alcohol Now, bears the agency's name and logo and claims that 90 per cent of alcoholic drinks sold in Nigeria are fake, adulterated and deadly.

It also lists alleged health consequences of consuming the products, including rapid kidney and liver failure, severe vomiting, abdominal pain, permanent blindness and sudden death.

However, the agency described the publication as fake and unauthorised, stressing that it neither produced nor approved the flyer for public circulation.

“The attention of NAFDAC has been drawn to a flyer circulating online, bearing the agency’s name and logo and claiming that 90% of alcoholic drinks sold in Nigeria are fake, adulterated and deadly.

“NAFDAC wishes to categorically state that the flyer was neither produced nor authorised by the agency for circulation. The claims contained in it should be disregarded,” the statement read.

The agency advised Nigerians to rely on its verified communication channels for authentic public health alerts and regulatory information.

It also urged consumers to verify information before sharing it, particularly materials carrying the names and logos of government agencies.

The clarification comes amid ongoing concerns over the circulation of counterfeit and adulterated alcoholic beverages in Nigeria.

In October 2026, NAFDAC operatives raided more than 20 illegal stores at the Lagos International Trade Fair Complex, where counterfeit and revalidated alcoholic products valued at over ₦2bn were seized. Two suspects were also arrested during the operation.

Adulterated alcoholic beverages, particularly those contaminated with methanol, can cause severe health complications, including blindness, organ damage and death.