The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has reiterated that its renewed enforcement of the ban on sachet alcohol and small bottles below 200 millilitres is aimed solely at protecting children, adolescents and other vulnerable groups from the harmful use of alcohol.
Speaking on Thursday, NAFDAC Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye, dismissed claims that the agency had shut down alcohol-producing companies, stressing that only specific packaging formats are affected by the regulation.
“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.
According to her, the widespread availability of alcohol in small, cheap and easily concealed packaging has contributed significantly to underage drinking, addiction and other social problems across the country. She noted that sachet and small-bottle alcohol products are often accessible to minors and commercial drivers, increasing the risks of road accidents, school dropouts, domestic violence and other social vices.
“This ban is not punitive; it is protective,” she explained. “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.”
Adeyeye rejected suggestions that warning labels such as “Not for Children” could effectively address underage consumption, describing such measures as impractical within Nigeria’s enforcement environment. She said many parents remain unaware that their children consume alcohol in sachets because the packaging can be easily hidden.
“Reports from schools show that students conceal sachet alcohol. In one instance, a teacher reported that a student claimed he could not sit for an examination without first taking sachet alcohol,” she said.
NAFDAC clarified that the policy is not new, recalling that manufacturers were given several years to adjust. In 2018, the agency, alongside the Federal Ministry of Health and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding with industry stakeholders to phase out sachet and small-volume alcohol packaging by January 2024. The deadline was later extended to December 2025.
The agency said the renewed enforcement follows a resolution of the Nigerian Senate and aligns with Nigeria’s commitments under the World Health Assembly’s Global Strategy to Reduce the Harmful Use of Alcohol.
Adeyeye emphasised that alcoholic beverages in larger pack sizes remain approved, noting that the goal is to make alcohol less accessible to underage persons.
NAFDAC also warned that no further extension of the phase-out deadline would be granted beyond December 2025, adding that it would continue nationwide sensitisation in collaboration with relevant government agencies.
“NAFDAC remains resolute in ensuring that only safe, wholesome and properly regulated products are available to Nigerians,” she said.