The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has begun enforcement of the ban on the production and sale of alcohol packaged in sachets and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles across the country.
The senate had directed the agency to end the nationwide production of alcoholic beverages in sachets and small bottles by December 2025, following a motion moved by Asuquo Ekpenyong, senator representing Cross River south.
During the debate, Ekpenyong argued that the directive was in line with global regulatory standards and international best practices aimed at reducing alcohol-related harm among Nigerians.
Following the directive, NAFDAC announced that it would begin enforcing a total ban on the affected products by December 2025.
The decision elicited reactions from the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), and other civil society organisations, who said the ban could cost the economy trillions of naira and millions of jobs.
However, speaking on Wednesday during a media briefing in Lagos, Mojisola Adeyeye, director-general of NAFDAC, said the enforcement began after a fresh authorisation from the Nigerian senate.
Adeyeye said the enforcement drive is aimed at protecting public health and vulnerable groups.
“The proliferation of high-alcohol-content beverages in sachets and small containers has made such products easily accessible, affordable, and concealable,” she said.
She added that NAFDAC is not opposed to alcohol consumption but to “its proliferation in high concentrations in sachets and small bottles, which makes it easy for children to access”.
Adeyeye noted that some sachet alcohol products previously contained between 50 and 90 percent alcohol, describing the levels as dangerous to public health.
She added that although manufacturers were directed to reduce alcohol content to 30 percent, many resisted, citing fears of job losses and investment setbacks.
According to her, the issue was escalated to the federal ministry of health, which granted manufacturers a five-year transition period — from December 2018 to January 31, 2024 — to comply with regulatory standards.
Adeyeye reaffirmed NAFDAC’s commitment to safeguarding public health through sustained enforcement of regulations.
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