The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has commenced full enforcement of the ban on the production and sale of alcoholic beverages in sachets and pet bottles below 200 millilitres. Eyes Of Lagos reports,
The Director-General of NAFDAC, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, disclosed this during a media parley organised by the agency on Wednesday in Lagos.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), NAFDAC had earlier announced on November 11, 2025, that it would enforce a total ban on the affected products by December 2025, in compliance with a directive from the Nigerian Senate.
However, the planned enforcement was temporarily suspended after the Federal Government directed an immediate halt to all actions related to the ban, pending further consultations and a final directive.
Speaking at the briefing, Prof. Adeyeye stated that NAFDAC has now received a clear mandate from the Senate to proceed, adding that enforcement activities have already begun nationwide.
She explained that the decision was taken to protect public health, especially children, adolescents, and young adults, from the harmful effects of alcohol consumption.
According to her, the widespread availability of high-alcohol-content beverages in sachets and small containers has made such products cheap, easily accessible, and easily concealed, increasing the risk of abuse among vulnerable groups.
“We have already started enforcement to ban alcohol production in sachets and bottles below 200ml after receiving an order from the Senate to proceed,” Adeyeye said.
“NAFDAC is not against alcohol, but we are against the proliferation of high alcohol content in sachets and small bottles, which allows children to access it easily.”
She further revealed that before her appointment as NAFDAC boss, sachet alcohol products contained between 50 and 90 per cent alcohol concentration, which she described as dangerously high.
Adeyeye disclosed that manufacturers were previously directed to reduce alcohol content to 30 per cent, but some operators resisted the move, citing concerns about job losses and investment risks.
She added that the then Minister of Health granted manufacturers a five-year grace period, spanning December 2018 to January 31, 2024, to restructure their operations and comply with regulations.
The NAFDAC boss reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to safeguarding the health of Nigerians, stressing that the enforcement exercise is part of its broader mandate to regulate food, drugs, and beverages in the interest of public safety.
