Tuesday, November 11, 2025 - The National Agency of Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has ordered a ban on 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 today November 11.
Speaking at the press conference, Adeyeye said
“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.
This public health menace has
been linked to increased incidences of domestic violence, road accidents,
school dropouts, and social vices across communities.”
According to her, the directive follows a resolution by the Senate
highlighting concerns over cheap alcohol drinks packaged in sachets being
easily accessed by minors and contributing to social problems.
Adeyeye noted that the agency had earlier signed a Memorandum of
Understanding with industry stakeholders for a phased ban with previous
deadlines pushed from 2023 and now December 2025 .
She, however, noted that the Senate’s resolution is absolute and no
further extension will be granted and urged retailers and manufacturers to
comply with the directive.
Adeyeye reiterated that the ban is not punitive but. protective to
safeguard the health and wellbeing of Nigerians.
She also explained that the agency will be collaborating with security
agencies to ensure the full enforcement of the ban scheduled to begin in
January 2026.
“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
See the press statement by NAFDAC’s boss below:
PRESS RELEASE BY DIRECTOR
GENERAL, NATIONAL AGENCY FOR FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION AND CONTROL, PROF
MOJISOLA CHRISTIANAH ADEYEYE
NAFDAC REAFFIRMS COMMITMENT TO
ENFORCE THE BAN ON ALCOHOL IN SACHETS AND SMALL PLASTIC BOTTLES BY DECEMBER
2025
Advertisement
The National Agency for Food and
Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has reaffirmed its unwavering
commitment to enforce the total ban on the production and sale of alcoholic
beverages in sachets and small-volume PET/glass bottles (below 200ml) by December
2025, in line with the recent directive of the Senate of the Federal Republic
of Nigeria.
This decisive action, ordered by
the Nigerian Senate and backed by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social
Welfare, underscores 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.
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.
This public health menace has
been linked to increased incidences of domestic violence, road accidents,
school dropouts, and social vices across communities.
In December 2018, NAFDAC, the
Federal Ministry of Health, and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection
Commission (FCCPC) signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) 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 industry operators to exhaust old stock and
reconfigure production lines.
NAFDAC emphasizes that the
current Senate resolution aligns with the spirit and letter of that agreement
and with Nigeria’s commitment to the World Health Organization’s Global
Strategy to Reduce the Harmful Use of Alcohol (WHA63.13, 2010), to which Nigeria
is a signatory.
According to Prof. Mojisola
Christianah Adeyeye, Director-General, NAFDAC:
“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.”
NAFDAC reiterates that only two
categories of alcoholic beverages are affected by this regulation—spirit drinks
packaged in sachets and small-volume PET/glass bottles below 200ml. The Agency
calls on all stakeholders, including manufacturers, distributors, and
retailers, to comply fully with the phase-out deadline, as no further extension
will be entertained beyond December 2025.
The Agency will continue to work
collaboratively with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the
Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), and the
National Orientation Agency (NOA) to implement nationwide sensitization campaigns
on the health and social dangers associated with alcohol misuse.
NAFDAC remains resolute in its
mission to ensure that only safe, wholesome, and properly regulated products
are available to Nigerians.
Signed:
Prof Mojisola Christianah
Adeyeye, FAS
Director-General
National Agency for Food and Drug
Administration and Control (NAFDAC)
Abuja, Nigeria
0 Comments