The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has formally resumed enforcement of the long-controversial ban on alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets and other small containers, stressing that no alcohol-producing company has been closed down in the process.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the agency said the enforcement action is intended to safeguard public health and especially protect vulnerable groups from the harmful effects of alcohol abuse, particularly children, adolescents and young adults. The renewed regulatory push follows a resolution by the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and aligns with NAFDAC’s statutory mandate to curb the misuse of alcoholic products.
“The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has resumed enforcement of the ban on the production and sale of alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets and small-volume PET or glass bottles below 200ml, in line with a resolution of the Senate … and the Agency’s public health mandate,” the statement from Director-General Prof. Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye said.
NAFDAC was unequivocal in dismissing widespread claims that it had ordered factory closures or shut down alcohol producers, describing such reports as inaccurate. “NAFDAC did not close down any company that makes alcohol. The agency only bans alcohol in sachets and small containers less than 200ml,” Adeyeye said in clarifying remarks.
According to the agency, the small size and high alcohol content of sachet-packaged drinks have made them cheap, accessible and easy to conceal, characteristics that have contributed to rising incidents of underage drinking, addiction, road accidents, domestic violence, school dropouts and other social vices.
Adeyeye emphasised that simply labelling sachets “Not for Children” has proven ineffective in the Nigerian context. “Many parents do not even know their children consume sachet alcohol because the pack size is small, cheap and easily concealed,” she said, citing reports from schools in which pupils admitted concealing sachet drinks — including one recent case where a student said he could not sit for an examination without first consuming sachet alcohol.
She reiterated, “This ban is not punitive; it is protective. It is aimed at safeguarding the health and future of our children and youth by not allowing alcohol in small pack sizes…We cannot continue to sacrifice the well-being of Nigerians for economic gain. The health of a nation is its true wealth.”
NAFDAC noted the ban is not an abrupt measure but is rooted in longstanding agreements with industry stakeholders. In December 2018, the agency signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding with the Federal Ministry of Health, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, and industry bodies to phase out sachet and small-volume alcohol packaging by January 31, 2024. That timeframe was later extended to December 2025 to allow manufacturers to adjust production lines and exhaust existing stock.
The current enforcement, NAFDAC said, honours both the original MOU and Nigeria’s commitment to the World Health Assembly’s Global Strategy to Reduce the Harmful Use of Alcohol.
Despite the agency’s reassurance, the renewed ban has triggered immediate and vocal pushback across sectors. Labour unions, industry associations and civic groups have criticised the measure as economically disruptive and potentially counterproductive.
Organised labour and workers in the food and beverage sector recently protested outside NAFDAC’s Lagos office, warning that aggressive enforcement could lead to massive job losses. Other stakeholders have described the move as a regulatory overreach that fails to balance economic realities with public health goals.
NAFDAC, for its part, has urged all manufacturers, distributors and retailers to comply fully with the phase-out directive, noting that no further extension of the deadline will be granted beyond December 2025.
The agency also reaffirmed its commitment to working 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 dangers of alcohol misuse.
