The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has announced that it will commence full enforcement of the ban on the production and sale of alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets and small bottles below 200 millilitres by December 2025.
NAFDAC Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, made the disclosure during a press briefing on Tuesday in Abuja.
“This ban is not punitive; it is protective. It is aimed at safeguarding the health and future of our children and youth,” Adeyeye stated, warning that no extension will be entertained beyond December 2025.
She explained that the proliferation of high-alcohol-content beverages in sachets and small containers had made such products “easily accessible, affordable, and concealable,” resulting in widespread misuse and addiction, particularly among minors and commercial drivers.
Adeyeye stressed that the policy was grounded in scientific research and public health considerations, despite opposition from some manufacturers.
“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.
“This public health menace has been linked to increased cases of domestic violence, road accidents, school dropouts, and other social vices across communities.”
According to the NAFDAC boss, the decision aligns with a Senate resolution raising concerns about the easy accessibility of cheap alcoholic drinks to minors, which has contributed to rising social problems nationwide.
The plan to phase out sachet and small-bottle alcoholic packaging began in December 2018, when NAFDAC signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Federal Ministry of Health, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), and industry bodies such as the Association of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Employers (AFBTE) and the Distillers and Blenders Association of Nigeria (DIBAN).
The original deadline was January 2024, but following protests by DIBAN—who warned of potential job losses—the agency extended the moratorium to December 2025 to allow manufacturers to exhaust existing stock and adjust production lines.
However, Adeyeye reaffirmed that the new deadline is final.
“The new deadline is absolute and will not be extended,” she said, urging all manufacturers, distributors, and retailers to comply fully with the directive.
To ensure compliance, NAFDAC announced that it would begin joint enforcement operations with security agencies starting January 2026.
