In compliance with a Senate resolution, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has commenced full enforcement of the ban on the production and sale of alcohol packaged in sachets and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles below 200 millilitres.
Last November, the Senate issued a firm directive to NAFDAC not to extend the 31 December 2025 deadline for the prohibition of the production and sale of alcoholic beverages in sachets and small-volume PET bottles.
That legislative directive was endorsed by the the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, underscoring the agency’s statutory mandate to safeguard public health and protect vulnerable populations, particularly children, adolescents, and young adults from the harmful use of alcohol.
During a media briefing on Wednesday, the Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye said that the full enforcement has commenced,
Adeyeye explained that the agency has now received a fresh formal authorisation from the Senate to proceed on nationwide enforcement.
The Senate resolution followed a motion sponsored by Senator Ned Nwoko (Delta North), which was debated during plenary. In moving the motion, Nwoko, who is a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress, raised concerns over the widespread availability of high-alcohol-content drinks packaged in sachets and small bottles, warning that their low cost and ease of concealment posed serious public health and social risks, particularly to minors and young adults.
The motion, which enjoyed broad bipartisan support, was debated by lawmakers who expressed alarm at rising cases of alcohol abuse among school-age children and youths. The Senate subsequently adopted the motion and resolved to direct NAFDAC to enforce existing regulations prohibiting the sale of alcoholic beverages in sachets and small-volume containers.
Adeyeye said on Wednesday that the enforcement drive is aimed at safeguarding public health and protecting vulnerable groups, especially children, adolescents, and young adults, from the harmful effects of alcohol consumption.
She said: ‘The proliferation of high-alcohol-content beverages in sachets and small containers has made such products easily accessible, affordable, and concealable.
‘We have already started the enforcement to ban alcohol production in sachets and bottles below 200ml after receiving the order from the Senate. NAFDAC is not against alcohol, but we are against its proliferation in high concentrations in sachets and small bottles, which makes it easy for children to access’.
Adeyeye noted that before her tenure, some sachet alcohol products contained between 50 and 90% alcohol, describing the levels as dangerously high and detrimental to public health.
She said that NAFDAC had previously directed manufacturers to reduce alcohol content to 30%, but many resisted the directive, citing concerns over job losses and potential investment setbacks.
According to her, the matter was escalated to the Federal Ministry of Health, which subsequently granted manufacturers a five-year transition period from December 2018 to 31 January 2024, to restructure their operations and comply with regulatory standards.
Adeyeye reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to protecting public health, stressing that NAFDAC would continue to prioritise the safety of vulnerable populations through sustained regulatory enforcement.
