NAFDAC Defends Sachet Alcohol Ban, Warns Manufacturers Against Continued Violations

The Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, has defended the agency's enforcement of the Federal Government's ban on sachet alcohol and alcoholic beverages packaged in containers smaller than 200 millilitres, describing the measure as a critical public health intervention aimed at protecting children.

Speaking during an interview on Channels Television, Adeyeye said NAFDAC had uncovered continued violations of the regulation despite years of engagement with manufacturers and multiple extensions granted to facilitate compliance.

According to her, enforcement teams discovered newly manufactured sachet alcoholic beverages bearing production dates as recent as June and July 2026, despite the prohibition already being in force.

"It is shocking to know that our own clients are flagrantly violating our regulations," she said.

Adeyeye explained that NAFDAC initially adopted a graduated enforcement strategy by engaging manufacturers before extending inspections to distributors across the country. During those operations, officials reportedly discovered fresh supplies of prohibited alcoholic products.

She stressed that the agency's actions were not intended to punish businesses but to safeguard public health, particularly that of children and adolescents.

"Our focus is on protecting children," she said, warning that early exposure to alcohol could have lifelong health and social consequences.

The NAFDAC Director-General noted that the ban forms part of Nigeria's National Alcohol Policy, which prohibits alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets and containers smaller than 200 ml because of their affordability, accessibility and appeal to underage consumers.

She disclosed that some illegal products encountered during enforcement lacked NAFDAC registration numbers, while some manufacturers were allegedly operating from unregistered facilities in an attempt to evade regulatory oversight.

Adeyeye warned that companies found violating the regulations could face a range of sanctions, including blacklisting and other penalties available under Nigerian law.

She also urged manufacturers to comply fully with the regulations, stressing that protecting public health remains NAFDAC's overriding responsibility.

The enforcement follows the expiration of an extended transition period granted to the alcohol industry after several years of stakeholder consultations.