Sachet alcohol ban: NAFDAC resumes full enforcement, says no company shut

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, on Thursday resumed full enforcement of the ban on alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets and small plastic or glass bottles below 200 millilitres, insisting that no alcohol-producing company has been shut down and that the action is solely to protect children and other vulnerable groups from the harmful use of alcohol.

The enforcement follows a directive of the Nigerian Senate and is supported by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.

NAFDAC said the move aligns with its statutory responsibility to safeguard Nigerians, particularly children, adolescents and young adults, from the harmful use of alcohol.

Director-General of NAFDAC Prof. Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye dismissed claims that the agency had sealed alcohol factories, stressing that only specific packaging formats are affected.

“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 explained that the widespread availability of high-alcohol-content beverages in sachets and small bottles has made alcohol cheap, easily accessible and easily concealed, contributing to growing misuse among minors and some commercial drivers. According to her, the trend has been linked to rising cases of addiction, domestic violence, road traffic accidents, school dropouts and other social vices across the country.

“This ban is not punitive; it is protective,” the NAFDAC boss said. “It is aimed at safeguarding the health and future of our children and youth by not allowing alcohol in small pack sizes. The decision is rooted in scientific evidence and public health considerations. We cannot continue to sacrifice the wellbeing of Nigerians for economic gain. The health of a nation is its true wealth.”

Adeyeye rejected suggestions that warning labels such as “Not for Children” could curb underage consumption, noting that enforcement of such labels remains impractical within the Nigerian context.

“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 that students hide sachet alcohol. A teacher recently reported that a student said he could not sit for an examination without first taking sachet alcohol.”

She recalled that the policy was not sudden, stressing that manufacturers had been given several years to adjust their production lines. 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. The moratorium was later extended to December 2025.

“The current Senate resolution aligns fully with the spirit and letter of that agreement,” Adeyeye said, adding that the action also fulfils Nigeria’s commitment to the World Health Assembly Global Strategy to Reduce the Harmful Use of Alcohol, which prioritises the protection of vulnerable populations.

She noted that NAFDAC continues to approve alcoholic beverages in larger pack sizes, emphasising that the aim of the ban is to make alcohol less accessible to underage persons.

“The small size of sachets makes it easy for children to conceal alcohol from parents and teachers. Larger pack sizes do not,” she said.

NAFDAC reiterated that only two packaging formats are affected by the regulation—spirit drinks in sachets and small PET or glass bottles below 200 millilitres—and warned that no further extension of the phase-out deadline would be granted beyond December 2025.

The agency said it would continue to work with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission and the National Orientation Agency to intensify nationwide sensitisation on the health and social dangers of alcohol misuse.

“NAFDAC remains resolute in ensuring that only safe, wholesome and properly regulated products are available to Nigerians,” Adeyeye said.