By Maryanne Awuya
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has reaffirmed its readiness to enforce a total ban on the production and sale of alcoholic drinks in sachets and small plastic or glass bottles below 200ml by December 2025.
The move, the agency said, is in strict compliance with the directive of the Nigerian Senate and aligns with NAFDAC’s statutory mandate to protect public health especially among young people and vulnerable groups.
Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, announced this on Tuesday at a media briefing in Abuja and the launch of NAFDAC Health and Regulatory Initiatives.
She described the decision as part of the agency’s longstanding efforts to curb the growing abuse of cheap, high-alcohol-content beverages in Nigeria.
Per Second News reports that the proliferation of sachet and small-volume alcoholic drinks has made it easier for minors, commercial drivers, and low-income earners to access and conceal alcohol, fueling addiction, domestic violence, accidents, school dropouts, and other social problems across communities.
She said: “This ban is not punitive; it is protective,” Adeyeye said.
“It is aimed at safeguarding the health and future of our children and youth. The decision is rooted in scientific evidence and public health considerations.
“We cannot continue to sacrifice the well-being of Nigerians for short-term economic gain. The health of a nation is its true wealth.”
Adeyeye explained that the agency will work closely with security agencies to ensure full enforcement of the ban, which takes effect from January 2026.
She recalled that in December 2018, NAFDAC signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Federal Ministry of Health, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), and industry associations including the Association of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Employers (AFBTE) and the Distillers and Blenders Association of Nigeria (DIBAN), to phase out sachet and small-bottle alcoholic packaging by January 2024.
However, the moratorium was extended to December 2025 to allow manufacturers to exhaust old stock and modify their production lines.
Adeyeye reiterated that the Senate’s recent resolution reinforces the earlier agreement and reflects Nigeria’s commitment to the World Health Organization’s Global Strategy to Reduce the Harmful Use of Alcohol (WHA63.13, 2010).
“The proliferation of high-alcohol-content beverages in sachets and small containers has made such products easily accessible, affordable, and concealable, leading to widespread misuse and addiction among minors and commercial drivers,” she noted.
“This public health menace has been linked to increased incidences of domestic violence, road accidents, school dropouts, and social vices across communities.”
Adeyeye urged manufacturers, distributors, and retailers to comply fully with the policy, emphasizing that the ban applies strictly to spirit drinks packaged in sachets and bottles below 200ml, and not to all alcoholic products.
NAFDAC said it will continue collaborating with the Federal Ministry of Health, FCCPC, and the National Orientation Agency (NOA) to conduct nationwide sensitization campaigns on the dangers of alcohol abuse.
She reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to ensuring that only safe, wholesome, and properly regulated products are available to Nigerians.
Per Second News recalls that the Senate had issued a firm directive to NAFDAC not to extend the December 31, 2025 deadline for the prohibition of the production and sale of alcoholic beverages in sachets and small-volume PET bottles.
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