The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has commenced full enforcement of the ban on the production and sale of alcoholic beverages in sachets and PET bottles below 200ml, in line with a directive from the Senate aimed at protecting public health.
The Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, disclosed this on Wednesday during a media parley in Lagos, confirming that the agency had received a formal order from the Senate to proceed with enforcement activities.
According to Adeyeye, the development follows the conclusion of consultations that had earlier led the Federal Government to temporarily suspend implementation of the ban.
“We have already started the enforcement to ban alcohol production in sachets and bottles below 200ml after we received the order from the Senate to proceed,” she said.
Background to the ban
Diaspora Digital Media reported that NAFDAC had announced on November 11, 2025, that it would enforce a total ban on the affected products by December 2025, following a Senate resolution.
However, the implementation was paused after the Federal Government directed regulatory agencies to suspend action pending broader stakeholder consultations.
Adeyeye said those consultations have now been concluded, clearing the way for enforcement.
The NAFDAC boss explained that the decision was driven by concerns over public health, particularly the need to protect children, adolescents and young adults from alcohol abuse.
She noted that alcohol sold in sachets and small containers is cheap, easily accessible and easy to conceal, making it attractive to vulnerable groups.
“NAFDAC is not against alcohol. What we are against is the proliferation of high-alcohol-content products in sachets and small bottles, which make it easy for children to access them,” Adeyeye stated.
Concerns over alcohol strength
Adeyeye revealed that before her tenure, some sachet alcohol products contained between 50 and 90 per cent alcohol, which she described as dangerously high.
She said NAFDAC had directed manufacturers to reduce alcohol content to 30 per cent, a move that was strongly resisted by industry players.
“Manufacturers went directly to the ministry to complain, citing potential job losses and investment risks,” she said.
According to Adeyeye, those objections led the Federal Government at the time to grant producers a five-year grace period, running from December 2018 to January 31, 2024, to restructure their operations.
She stressed that the grace period has long expired, making renewed enforcement unavoidable.
Adeyeye reaffirmed NAFDAC’s commitment to safeguarding public health through strict regulatory oversight, while assuring stakeholders of continued engagement.
She said the agency would remain firm on compliance while ensuring that regulatory actions are guided by public health priorities.
In November 2025, the Senate directed NAFDAC and other regulatory bodies to fully enforce the ban on high-strength alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets.
The directive followed the adoption of a motion sponsored by Senator Asuquo Ekpeyong, calling for an end to further extensions of the phase-out timeline.
