Muhammed Bago, the Governor of Niger State, has declared a prohibition on alcohol in Suleja and eight other local government areas that have indistinct borders with the suburbs of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The ban is set to commence on the first day of the new year, as revealed in a statement by Ibrahim Mohammed, the secretary of the state’s Liquor and Licencing Board, on Monday.
He stated, “The law establishing the board has the mandate to control the activities of all liquor vendors in the state. Nine local government areas were on the first schedule of the prohibited areas, with Suleja among them, and as such, the board will ensure strict compliance with the law. We are calling on all vendors to abide by the relevant extant laws establishing the board.”
The statement further mentioned that beer parlours previously operating within Minna, the state capital, would receive “relocation letters to move outside the city to within an eight-kilometre radius of the post office in the state.”
The Nigerian beer market, which is projected to grow annually by 12.86 per cent, currently generates an estimated revenue of around $5.2 billion, as per Statista data.
This prohibition comes as Governor Bago starts to explore alternative revenue sources to tackle the ongoing issues of poverty and displacement in the state.
In a notable move, Mr. Bago has requested the federal government start allocating a 13 percent derivation to Niger, acknowledging the national significance of several power infrastructures and dams located within the state.
He declared, “We will take the federal government to the Supreme Court unless the 13 percent derivation from our land, water, air, grass, and everything given to us is paid. We need 13 percent derivation for water supplied to the Delta. Our people are ravaged and displaced year in and year out because of the flow of water from the Niger to the Delta.”