Edino Chubiyo Cornelius 
LAGOS, Nigeria – Nigeria’s drug regulator begins nationwide enforcement of a long-awaited ban on the production and sale of alcoholic drinks in sachets and small containers below 200 millilitres, citing public health risks.
The Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, Mojisola Adeyeye, announces the enforcement on Wednesday during a media briefing in Lagos, confirming that the action follows a directive from the Senate.
“We have already commenced enforcement after receiving clear instructions from the Senate to proceed,” Adeyeye says.
She explains that the ban targets the unchecked spread of high-alcohol beverages packaged in sachets and small plastic bottles, which regulators say are cheap, easily concealed and readily accessible to minors and young adults.
“NAFDAC is not against alcohol consumption,” Adeyeye says. “We are against the proliferation of high-alcohol products in sachets and small bottles that expose children and adolescents to serious harm.”
According to the regulator, sachet alcohol previously contained between 50 and 90 per cent alcohol by volume, levels Adeyeye describes as “extremely dangerous.” NAFDAC later directed manufacturers to reduce alcohol content to 30 per cent, a move that met resistance from producers.
She recalls that manufacturers appealed to the Ministry of Health, warning of job losses and investment risks. In response, the government granted a five-year transition period from December 2018 to January 31, 2024, to allow companies to restructure.
With the grace period now expired, NAFDAC insists enforcement will continue. Adeyeye reiterates the agency’s commitment to protecting public health, particularly vulnerable populations, through stricter regulation of alcohol products.
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