The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has given a December 2025 deadline for the total ban of the production and sale of alcoholic beverages in sachets and small glass or PET bottles below 200 millilitres.
The Director General (DG) of the agency, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, said the full enforcement of the ban will begin by January 2026, asserting that there will be no further extension of the moratorium, which has undergone several shifts, with the last one occurring in December 2024.
The move, backed by the Senate and the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, according to her, is aimed at protecting public health and shielding children, adolescents, and young adults from the harmful effects of alcohol abuse.
According to Adeyeye, the ban becomes imperative considering the widespread availability of high-alcohol-content beverages in small, cheap, and easily concealable packaging which has worsened addiction rates among young Nigerians and commercial drivers.
This, she said, has fuelled social vices including domestic violence, road accidents, school dropouts, and other forms of insecurity.
“This ban is not punitive, it is protective. We cannot continue to sacrifice the well-being of Nigerians, especially our children, for short-term economic gain. The health of the nation is its true wealth,” she said
She clarified that the regulation affects only two categories of packaging, spirit drinks in sachets and small glass bottles with a capacity of less than 200 ml, while calling on all manufacturers, distributors, and retailers to comply fully with the December 2025 deadline, warning that no further extensions would be granted.
The DG said the decision to phase out small-volume alcohol packaging dates back to December 2018 when NAFDAC, the Federal Ministry of Health, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), and industry stakeholders, including the Association of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Employers (AFBTE) and the Distillers and Blenders Association of Nigeria (DIBAN), signed a five-year agreement to end the practice by January 2024.
“However, the moratorium was extended to December 2025 to give manufacturers time to exhaust old stock and reconfigure production lines.
“However, the new Senate resolution aligns with both the initial agreement and Nigeria’s commitment to the World Health Organization’s Global Strategy to Reduce the Harmful Use of Alcohol (Resolution WHA63.13, 2010), to which the country is a signatory.”
To underscore the gravity of the issue, the DG stressed that concerns about job losses pale in comparison to the far-reaching consequences of alcohol abuse among the nation’s youth.
She reminded industry players that they were given a five-year transition period, adding, “Job loss was raised in 2018, and we extended the phase-out period to allow adequate planning. How long will we continue to cite job loss while our children are dying and becoming addicts?
“Children drinking alcohol is a ticking time bomb. Research shows that children who become addicted to alcohol are more likely to progress to hard drugs. That poses a national security threat,” she stressed.
Addressing enforcement challenges, Adeyeye said NAFDAC now operates a far stronger enforcement framework than in previous years, with support from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and other agencies.
Adeyeye disclosed that the ONSA has partnered with NAFDAC to ensure strict enforcement, “During our February 9 operation in markets such as Idumota, Aba, and Onitsha, the NSA provided 1,350 personnel who worked with us for several weeks,” she said.
She also noted that the Director of NAFDAC’s Enforcement Directorate now chairs the Federal Task Force on Counterfeit and Substandard Products, inaugurated recently by the Minister of Health, while similar task forces have been activated across the 36 States and the FCT.
“Yes, we are short-staffed, but the government is listening. Despite our lean workforce, our officers are doing the work of four or five people each because we must safeguard the health of the nation.”
She disclosed that the agency has been approved to recruit 1000 workers to boost its work strength
She, however, noted that NAFDAC pledged to continue collaborating with the Federal Ministry of Health, FCCPC, and the National Orientation Agency to intensify public sensitization campaigns on the health and social dangers of alcohol misuse.
“The ban is rooted in science, public health, and national interest. It is about protecting our children, our future workforce, and our nation’s stability. This is a collective responsibility, not just for NAFDAC, but for all Nigerians,” the DG stressed.
