The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has said its enforcement of the sachet alcohol ban is protective rather than punitive, stressing that no alcohol producing company has been shut down.
In a press release issued on January 29, 2026, and signed by its Director General, Prof Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye, the agency said the renewed action follows a directive of the Nigerian Senate and is backed by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.
NAFDAC said the focus of the ban is to safeguard children, adolescents, and young adults from the harmful use of alcohol, particularly products packaged in sachets and small PET or glass bottles below 200 ml.
According to the agency, the small pack sizes make alcohol easily accessible, affordable, and easy to conceal, contributing to widespread misuse and addiction among minors and some commercial drivers.
“This ban is not punitive; it is protective. It is aimed at safeguarding the health and future of our children and youth by not allowing alcohol in small pack sizes,” Prof Adeyeye said.
She added, “The 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.”
NAFDAC said the proliferation of sachet alcohol has been linked to increased cases of domestic violence, road accidents, school dropouts, and other social vices across communities.
The agency dismissed the effectiveness of warning labels on sachets, saying societal realities make such measures unenforceable.
“Placing a label to read ‘not for children’ on the sachets and the small containers will not work. It cannot be enforced because of the peculiarity of the society,” the statement said.
NAFDAC said many parents are unaware their children consume sachet alcohol because the packs are cheap and easily concealed, adding that schools have reported cases of students hiding sachets.
“A teacher recently reported that a student said he couldn’t take exam without taking sachet alcohol,” the agency said.
The regulator recalled that manufacturers were given a six year moratorium to phase out sachet and small volume alcohol packaging. It said a Memorandum of Understanding signed in December 2018 with industry groups set an initial deadline of January 31, 2024, which was later extended to December 2025 to allow operators exhaust old stock and reconfigure production lines.
NAFDAC said the current enforcement aligns with Nigeria’s commitment to the World Health Assembly Global Strategy Resolution to Reduce the Harmful Use of Alcohol, adopted in 2010.
The agency emphasised that enforcement does not amount to shutting down alcohol producers.
“NAFDAC did not close down any company that makes alcohol. The Agency only ban the alcohol in sachet and small containers less than 200 ml,” the statement said.
NAFDAC said only spirit drinks packaged in sachets and in small PET or glass bottles below 200 ml are affected, warning that no further extension will be granted beyond December 2025.
The agency said it will continue to work with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, and the National Orientation Agency to intensify nationwide sensitisation on the health and social dangers of alcohol misuse.
NAFDAC reaffirmed its commitment to protecting public health and ensuring that only safe, wholesome, and properly regulated products are available to Nigerians.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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