NAFDAC bans sachet and small-bottle alcohol in Nigeria

The National Agency of Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has ordered a ban on the production and sale of alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets and small bottles below 200ml by December 2025.

NAFDAC Director General, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye gave the directive during a press briefing in Abuja today November 11.

Speaking at the press conference, Adeyeye said

“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 has been linked to increased incidences of domestic violence, road accidents, school dropouts, and social vices across communities.”

According to her, the directive follows a resolution by the Senate highlighting concerns over cheap alcohol drinks packaged in sachets being easily accessed by minors and contributing to social problems.

Adeyeye noted that the agency had earlier signed a Memorandum of Understanding with industry stakeholders for a phased ban with previous deadlines pushed from 2023 and now December 2025 .

She, however, noted that the Senate’s resolution is absolute and no further extension will be granted and urged retailers and manufacturers to comply with the directive.

Adeyeye reiterated that the ban is not punitive but. protective to safeguard the health and wellbeing of Nigerians.

She also explained that the agency will be collaborating with security agencies to ensure the full enforcement of the ban scheduled to begin in January 2026.

“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

See the press statement by NAFDAC’s boss below:

PRESS RELEASE BY DIRECTOR GENERAL, NATIONAL AGENCY FOR FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION AND CONTROL, PROF MOJISOLA CHRISTIANAH ADEYEYE

NAFDAC REAFFIRMS COMMITMENT TO ENFORCE THE BAN ON ALCOHOL IN SACHETS AND SMALL PLASTIC BOTTLES BY DECEMBER 2025

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The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has reaffirmed its unwavering commitment 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 decisive action, ordered by the Nigerian Senate and backed by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, underscores the Agency’s statutory mandate to safeguard public health and protect vulnerable populations—particularly children, adolescents, and young adults—from the harmful use of alcohol.

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 has been linked to increased incidences of domestic violence, road accidents, school dropouts, and social vices across communities.

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 was later extended to December 2025 to allow industry operators to exhaust old stock and reconfigure production lines.

NAFDAC emphasizes 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.

According to Prof. Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye, Director-General, NAFDAC:

“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.”

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.

Signed:

Prof Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye, FAS

Director-General

National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC)

Abuja, Nigeria