The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has started enforcing the ban on alcohol sold in sachets and PET bottles smaller than 200ml.
The agency’s Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, announced the development at a media briefing in Lagos on Wednesday. She said the move follows a directive from the Senate, giving NAFDAC the go-ahead to take action.
NAFDAC had first announced plans to ban these products in November 2025, with enforcement set for December. The Federal Government had temporarily paused the plan to allow for consultations. Adeyeye confirmed that enforcement has now resumed.
“The proliferation of alcohol in sachets and small bottles makes it cheap, easy to hide, and dangerously accessible to children and young people,” she said. “NAFDAC is not against alcohol, but we want to stop its easy availability to vulnerable groups.”
She added that before her tenure, some sachet alcohol contained 50 to 90 percent alcohol. Manufacturers were later asked to reduce the strength to 30 percent, but some raised concerns about job losses and investments. A five-year adjustment period was given from December 2018 to January 31, 2024.
Lagos State had earlier taken similar steps, banning the sale of sachet alcohol as well as alcohol packaged in plastic nylons, aligning with public health efforts to limit access to high-strength drinks for minors.
Adeyeye reaffirmed NAFDAC’s commitment to protecting national health, especially children and young adults, through consistent regulation and monitoring of alcohol products.
