The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) on Thursday commenced full enforcement of its ban on alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets and small bottles below 200 millilitres, emphasizing that the move is aimed at reducing underage drinking and alcohol-related social vices.
The agency dismissed claims circulating on social media that factories had been shut down, clarifying that no alcohol-producing company was closed and that only specific packaging formats were affected.
Speaking on the enforcement, the Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, said the action followed a directive of the Nigerian Senate and was supported by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, in line with the agency’s mandate to protect public health.
“NAFDAC did not close down any company that makes alcohol. What we have banned is alcohol in sachets and in small containers below 200 millilitres,” Adeyeye said.
She noted that the wide availability of high-alcohol-content drinks in sachets and mini bottles has made alcohol cheap, easily accessible, and easy to conceal, particularly among minors and commercial drivers. According to her, this has contributed to rising cases of addiction, domestic violence, road accidents, school dropouts, and other social vices.
“This ban is not punitive. It is protective. It is aimed at safeguarding the health and future of our children and youth by restricting alcohol in small pack sizes,” she said, adding that economic gains should never come at the expense of public wellbeing.
Adeyeye rejected the suggestion that warning labels such as “Not for Children” could adequately prevent underage consumption, arguing that such measures are difficult to enforce in Nigeria.
“Many parents do not know their children take alcohol in sachets because the pack size is cheap and can be easily concealed,” she said. “Reports from schools show students hide sachet alcohol. A teacher recently reported a student saying he could not sit for an examination without first taking sachet alcohol.”
The NAFDAC boss recalled that the policy was not sudden, noting that manufacturers had been given several years to adjust. In December 2018, NAFDAC, the Federal Ministry of Health, and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding with industry associations to phase out sachet and small-volume alcohol packaging by January 31, 2024, a deadline later extended to December 2025.
Adeyeye said the current Senate resolution aligns fully with that agreement and also fulfills Nigeria’s commitment to the World Health Assembly’s Global Strategy to Reduce the Harmful Use of Alcohol, which prioritizes protecting vulnerable populations.
She emphasized that NAFDAC would continue to approve alcoholic beverages in larger pack sizes to make alcohol less accessible to minors.
“Larger pack sizes are less easy to conceal from parents and teachers, unlike sachets,” she said.
NAFDAC reiterated that only spirit drinks in sachets and small PET or glass bottles below 200 millilitres are affected, warning that no further extension of the phase-out deadline beyond December 2025 would be granted. The agency also plans to intensify nationwide sensitization campaigns in collaboration with relevant federal agencies to educate Nigerians on the dangers of alcohol misuse.
“NAFDAC remains committed to ensuring that only safe, wholesome, and properly regulated products are available to Nigerians,” Adeyeye added.
