NAFDAC begins full crackdown on sachet alcohol nationwide

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has resumed full enforcement of the ban on sachet alcohol, insisting that no alcohol-producing company has been shut down and that the move is strictly aimed at protecting children and other vulnerable Nigerians.

NAFDAC made the clarification on Thursday as enforcement officers moved against alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets and small plastic or glass bottles below 200 millilitres, following a directive from the Nigerian Senate and backing from the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.

The Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye, dismissed claims circulating in some quarters that the agency had sealed factories or crippled the alcohol industry, stressing that only specific packaging formats, not production itself, are affected.

“NAFDAC did not close down any company that makes alcohol,” Adeyeye said. “What we have banned is alcohol in sachets and in small containers below 200 millilitres.”

According to her, the widespread sale of high-alcohol-content drinks in sachets and mini bottles has made alcohol cheap, easily accessible and easy to conceal, fueling abuse among minors and some commercial drivers. She said 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,” Adeyeye said. “It is about safeguarding the health and future of our children and youth. We cannot continue to sacrifice the wellbeing of Nigerians for economic gain.”

She rejected suggestions that warning labels such as “Not for Children” could solve the problem, describing enforcement of such labels as unrealistic within Nigeria’s social environment.

“Many parents do not know their children take alcohol in sachets because the pack size is cheap and can be easily concealed,” she said. “There are reports from schools where students hide sachet alcohol. A teacher recently reported that a student said he could not sit for an examination without first taking sachet alcohol.”

Adeyeye stressed that the policy did not come suddenly, noting that manufacturers had years of notice to adjust. She recalled that 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 groups to phase out sachet and small-volume alcohol packaging by January 31, 2024. The moratorium was later extended to December 2025.

According to her, the current Senate resolution fully aligns with that agreement and also meets Nigeria’s obligations under the World Health Assembly Global Strategy to Reduce the Harmful Use of Alcohol, which prioritises the protection of vulnerable groups.

NAFDAC emphasised that alcoholic beverages in larger pack sizes remain approved, insisting that the goal is to make alcohol less accessible to underage persons, not to ban alcohol outright.

The agency warned that no further extension would be granted beyond December 2025 and said it would continue working with relevant government bodies to intensify nationwide sensitisation on the dangers of alcohol misuse.

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