The National Agency of Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has issued a directive banning the production and sale of alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets and small bottles below 200ml by December 2025.
NAFDAC Director General, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, gave the directive during a press briefing in Abuja.
She justified the move by stating: “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.”
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She warned that “This public health menace has been linked to increased incidences of domestic violence, road accidents, school dropouts, and social vices across communities.”
According to Adeyeye, the directive is a result of a resolution passed by the Senate, which highlighted concerns that cheap alcohol drinks in sachets were being “easily accessed by minors and contributing to social problems.”
She noted that NAFDAC had previously signed a Memorandum of Understanding with industry stakeholders for a phased ban, with prior deadlines being pushed from 2023.
However, Adeyeye stressed that the Senate’s recent resolution is “absolute and no further extension will be granted,” urging retailers and manufacturers to comply. She reiterated that the ban is “not punitive but protective to safeguard the health and wellbeing of Nigerians.”
Adeyeye elaborated: “This ban is not punitive; it is protective. 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,” she said.
She also explained that NAFDAC will be “collaborating with security agencies to ensure the full enforcement of the ban,” which is scheduled to begin in January 2026.
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