The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has intensified enforcement of the Federal Government’s ban on alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets and PET or plastic bottles below 200ml.
The agency disclosed this at a press briefing in Lagos on Monday, August 24, 2026, stating that the enforcement followed an Irrevocable Enforcement Undertaking signed by the Distillers and Blenders Association of Nigeria (DIBAN), the Association of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Employers (AFBTE), and their member companies.
NAFDAC said the objective is to completely remove prohibited alcoholic products from the Nigerian market and prevent their further manufacture and distribution.
The agency explained that the ban was the outcome of several years of consultations involving regulators, manufacturers and government agencies, rather than an abrupt policy decision.
Concerns over the widespread availability of high-alcohol drinks in sachets and small containers were first raised in 2018. NAFDAC and other stakeholders argued that the products were inexpensive, easy to conceal and readily accessible to minors.
Following consultations, the Federal Government granted manufacturers a five-year moratorium beginning in 2019 to enable them to reconfigure production lines, move to larger packaging and phase out sachet alcohol and small-volume containers.
The deadline expired on January 31, 2024, after which NAFDAC commenced enforcement. However, resistance from industry operators and interventions by the National Assembly led to further consultations and an extension of the deadline to December 31, 2025.
The ban subsequently took full effect on January 1, 2026, covering alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets, PET bottles below 200ml and glass bottles below 200ml.
NAFDAC said the policy is aimed at reducing underage drinking, alcohol abuse and easy access to highly concentrated alcoholic beverages.
According to the agency, research cited in support of the policy showed that 47.2 percent of minors and 48.8 percent of underage persons procure alcoholic drinks in sachets, while 41.2 percent of minors and 47.2 percent of underage persons obtain them in PET bottles.
NAFDAC said its enforcement has been carried out in phases. The first phase, which began in January 2026, targeted manufacturers, with prohibited products found at production facilities evacuated and destroyed.
By July, the agency commenced nationwide mop-up operations targeting markets, motor parks, retail outlets, bars and distribution centres.
The operations resulted in the seizure of prohibited alcoholic beverages, closure of some factories and arrests of personnel linked to continued production of sachet alcohol.
The agency said DIBAN and AFBTE were subsequently required to sign irrevocable undertakings on behalf of their members to discontinue the manufacture of alcoholic beverages in sachets and PET bottles below 200ml before affected facilities could be reopened.
Under the undertaking, manufacturers must immediately recall all affected products from distributors, warehouses and other points along the supply chain and submit periodic compliance reports to NAFDAC.
The agency has also imposed investigative charges on companies found violating its directives. Recalled products will be subjected to inventory verification and destroyed under NAFDAC’s supervision, with manufacturers responsible for the cost of destruction.
NAFDAC further stated that sealed facilities involved in producing the prohibited pack sizes must dismantle, permanently disable or reconfigure the relevant production lines before reopening.
The reopening of affected facilities will depend on full compliance with the recall directive, payment of applicable charges and fees, supervised destruction of recalled products, verification of equipment dismantling or reconfiguration, and satisfactory inspection and certification by NAFDAC.
The agency warned that companies that fail to comply could face continued closure, placement on its Regulatory Watchlist, suspension or revocation of product registrations, criminal prosecution and other sanctions provided by law.
NAFDAC Director-General, Professor Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye, said the agency remained committed to protecting public health and reducing harmful alcohol consumption, particularly among children and young people.
She urged members of the public to report the manufacture, distribution or sale of alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets and PET bottles below 200ml through NAFDAC’s official communication channels or at the nearest NAFDAC office.