NAFDAC Sets Final Deadline for Sachet Alcohol Ban, Warns Manufacturers Against Further Extensions
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has announced that it will begin full enforcement of the ban on the production, distribution, and sale of alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets and small bottles under 200ml by December 2025.
The directive was issued by the agency’s Director General, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, during a press briefing held in Abuja on Tuesday, where she stressed that the timeline will not be shifted again under any circumstance.
Adeyeye emphasised that the decision is rooted in public safety, insisting that the measure is designed to protect young Nigerians who have become increasingly exposed to high-alcohol-content beverages.
She stated, “This enforcement is not meant to punish anyone. It is a protective step—one taken to secure the wellbeing and future of our children and youths.
Over time, these cheap, high-alcohol sachets and mini-bottles have become too easy to access, too affordable to ignore, and too small to detect. That combination has fuelled underage drinking, addiction, and reckless consumption, especially among minors and commercial motorists.”
According to regulatory details obtained by PulseNets, NAFDAC’s decision follows extensive review of scientific data and public health evidence, despite stiff resistance from certain industry players who argued for yet another extension.
The agency’s position also aligns with a recent Senate resolution raising concerns that sachet-packaged alcoholic drinks have become dangerously accessible to children, contributing to rising social problems tied to substance misuse.
PulseNets learnt that NAFDAC previously signed a Memorandum of Understanding with manufacturers for a gradual phase-out of the products—an agreement that initially set the deadline for 2023 but was later postponed to the new terminal date of December 2025.
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Adeyeye reiterated that this latest deadline is final.
She added, “The Senate’s position is firm, and so is ours. There will be no further extensions beyond December 2025. We expect full compliance from manufacturers, distributors, and retailers.”
