The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has announced that enforcement of the complete ban on alcohol packaged in sachets and small PET bottles will commence in January 2026.
NAFDAC Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, made this known at a press briefing in Abuja on Tuesday, reiterating the agency’s commitment to safeguarding public health and emphasising its duty to protect Nigerians’ well-being.
Adeyeye explained that the enforcement will ensure full compliance with the ban on the production and sale of alcoholic beverages in sachets and PET bottles smaller than 200ml by the end of December 2025.
She said the initiative aligns with a recent Senate directive and has the backing of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, aimed at shielding citizens from the harmful effects of alcohol.
According to Adeyeye, the policy highlights NAFDAC’s statutory role in protecting public health, particularly vulnerable groups such as children and young adults, from the dangers of excessive alcohol consumption.
The Director-General warned that alcoholic drinks with high alcohol content in sachets and small bottles are cheap and easy to conceal, which has contributed to addiction, misuse, and risky behaviour among minors and commercial drivers.
She noted that the proliferation of these products has been linked to domestic violence, road accidents, school dropouts, and other social vices that destabilise families and 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).
“The agreement initially set Jan. 31, 2024, as the deadline but was later extended to December 2025 to allow manufacturers to reconfigure facilities and exhaust existing stock,” Adeyeye explained.
She added that the new Senate resolution is consistent with the MoU and Nigeria’s commitment to the World Health Organization’s Global Strategy to Reduce the Harmful Use of Alcohol, adopted in 2010.
“This ban is not punitive but protective. It aims to secure the health and future of our children and youth, based on scientific evidence and global public health standards.”
Adeyeye stressed that NAFDAC could not compromise Nigerians’ health for short-term economic gains, noting that a nation’s true wealth lies in the well-being of its people.
She clarified that the regulation only affects spirit drinks packaged in sachets and small PET or glass bottles with capacities under 200ml and will be enforced starting January 2026.
The Director-General urged manufacturers, distributors, and retailers to fully comply with the phase-out deadline of December 2025, warning that no further extensions would be granted.
She said NAFDAC would work with the Ministry of Health, FCCPC, and the National Orientation Agency to intensify nationwide awareness campaigns about the social and health risks of alcohol misuse.
Adeyeye reaffirmed that the agency remains committed to ensuring that Nigerians have access only to safe, wholesome, and properly regulated products in line with its mandate to protect public health.
