NAFDAC DG Breaks Silence: Here’s Why Sachet Alcohol Is Being Banned

According to Ireporter Online, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has resumed enforcement of its ban on alcoholic beverages sold in sachets and small containers below 200 millilitres, citing serious public health concerns.

The agency clarified that it has not shut down any alcohol manufacturers but has prohibited the sale of spirit drinks in small packaging, emphasizing that the measure is intended to protect vulnerable groups, particularly children and young people.

In a statement on Thursday, NAFDAC Director-General Prof. Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye said the renewed enforcement aligns with a Senate resolution and the agency’s public health mandate. She explained that small-pack high-alcohol drinks are cheap, easily accessible, and easy to conceal, contributing to underage drinking and other social issues.

Adeyeye noted that such alcohol consumption has fueled addiction, domestic violence, road accidents, school dropouts, and other social vices nationwide. She also stressed that warning labels on sachets and small bottles have proven ineffective, with many parents unaware their children consume alcohol.

Reports from schools have revealed disturbing patterns of alcohol abuse among students. Adeyeye cited an incident where a student told a teacher that he could not sit for an exam without first consuming a sachet of alcohol, underscoring the urgency of enforcing the ban.

NAFDAC recalled that it signed a five-year agreement with manufacturers, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission in 2018 to phase out small-pack alcohol by January 2024, later extended to December 2025. The current Senate resolution, she said, supports Nigeria’s commitment to the World Health Assembly Global Strategy to Reduce the Harmful Use of Alcohol.

The DG emphasized that the enforcement is protective, not punitive, aiming to safeguard public health while allowing alcoholic beverages in larger packaging.

The renewed enforcement has drawn reactions from industry and labor groups. The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria and other stakeholders have criticized the move as economically damaging. On January 23, the Distillers and Blenders Association of Nigeria, the Nigerian Labour Congress, and the Trade Union Congress protested at NAFDAC’s Lagos office, warning the ban could result in the loss of up to 5.5 million jobs and describing it as a regulatory misstep.

NAFDAC, however, urged manufacturers, distributors, and retailers to comply fully with the directive, stating that no further extension beyond December 2025 will be granted. The agency pledged continued collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the FCCPC, and the National Orientation Agency to raise awareness of alcohol-related risks and ensure that only safe, regulated products are available to Nigerians.