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 packaged in sachets and small-volume PET or glass bottles below 200 millilitres, clarifying that no distillery or alcohol-producing company has been closed.
In a press release dated January 29, 2026, the Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye, said the renewed enforcement followed a directive of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and has the full backing of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.
According to the agency, the enforcement is in line with its statutory mandate to safeguard public health, particularly by protecting children, adolescents and young adults from the harmful use of alcohol.
NAFDAC explained that the proliferation of high-alcohol-content drinks in sachets and small containers has made alcohol cheap, easily accessible and easily concealable, resulting in rising misuse and addiction among minors and some commercial drivers. The agency linked the trend to increased cases of domestic violence, road traffic accidents, school dropouts and other social vices across communities.
The agency dismissed claims that warning labels such as “not for children” could effectively address the problem, noting that such measures are largely unenforceable within the Nigerian social context.
“Many parents are unaware that their children consume sachet alcohol because the pack size is cheap and easily concealed,” the statement said, citing reports from schools where pupils reportedly hide sachets of alcohol. In one instance, a teacher reportedly quoted a student as saying he could not sit for an examination without first taking sachet alcohol.
NAFDAC recalled that the ban followed years of engagement with industry stakeholders. In December 2018, the agency, alongside the Federal Ministry of Health and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding with the Association of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Employers (AFBTE) and the Distillers and Blenders Association of Nigeria (DIBAN) to phase out sachet and small-volume alcohol packaging by January 31, 2024. The moratorium was later extended to December 2025 to allow manufacturers exhaust existing stock and reconfigure their production lines.
The agency stressed that the recent Senate resolution aligns with the agreement and with Nigeria’s commitment to the World Health Assembly Global Strategy to Reduce the Harmful Use of Alcohol (WHA63.13, 2010), to which the country has been a signatory since 2010.
NAFDAC clarified that the regulation affects only two categories of packaging—alcoholic drinks in sachets and those in PET or glass bottles below 200ml—adding that alcohol packaged in larger volumes remains approved.
“The ban is not punitive; it is protective,” Prof. Adeyeye said. “It is aimed at safeguarding the health and future of our children and youth. This decision is rooted in scientific evidence and public health considerations. We cannot continue to sacrifice the wellbeing of Nigerians for economic gain. The health of a nation is its true wealth.”
The agency called on manufacturers, distributors and retailers to fully comply with the phase-out deadline, emphasizing that no further extension will be granted beyond December 2025.
NAFDAC also pledged continued collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, FCCPC and the National Orientation Agency (NOA) to intensify nationwide sensitisation on the health and social dangers of alcohol misuse, reaffirming its commitment to ensuring that only safe, wholesome and properly regulated products are available to Nigerians.
