The Director General of National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, has said that the ban on the production and sales of alcohol on sachets is not punitive but rather protective.
She stated this in a Press Statement made available to journalists in Abuja, yesterday.
Prof. Adeyeye reaffirmed the commitment of her agency 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 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.
Prof. Adeyeye further explained that “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.”
She lamented that 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, she said, has been linked to increased incidences of domestic violence, road accidents, school dropouts, and social vices across communities.
She disclosed that 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, she revealed, was later extended to December 2025, to allow industry operators to exhaust old stock and reconfigure production lines.
While applauding the Senate for what she described as the decisive action which is backed by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, she reiterated 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.”