Sachet alcohol ban enforcement has officially begun, with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control moving against the production and sale of alcohol packaged in sachets and PET bottles below 200ml. The action follows a renewed directive from the Senate and was confirmed on Wednesday in Lagos.
NAFDAC Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, said the agency resumed enforcement after receiving a formal matching order from the Senate. The announcement was made during a media briefing organised by the agency, marking the end of months of regulatory uncertainty surrounding the ban.
The enforcement targets alcohol products packaged in small, easily concealed containers, which regulators say pose a serious public health risk. NAFDAC had initially announced plans in November 2025 to fully enforce the sachet alcohol ban by December of that year. However, implementation was briefly suspended after the Federal Government ordered consultations with stakeholders.
Adeyeye said those consultations have now been concluded, clearing the way for enforcement to proceed nationwide. She explained that the decision is aimed at protecting children, adolescents, and young adults from alcohol abuse, noting that sachet alcohol is cheap, widely available, and easy to misuse.
She stressed that the agency is not opposed to alcohol consumption but is focused on curbing the spread of high-alcohol-content products in small packaging. According to her, some sachet alcohol products previously contained between 50 and 90 per cent alcohol, levels she described as dangerously high.
NAFDAC had earlier directed manufacturers to reduce alcohol content to 30 per cent, a move that was resisted by industry players who raised concerns about job losses and investment risks. Those objections led to a five-year grace period granted by the Federal Government, running from December 2018 to January 31, 2024.
Adeyeye said that grace period has expired, making the renewed enforcement unavoidable. She reaffirmed NAFDAC’s commitment to strict regulation while maintaining engagement with stakeholders to ensure compliance.
The Senate had, in November 2025, directed NAFDAC and other agencies to enforce the sachet alcohol ban following a motion highlighting the risks posed by high-strength alcoholic beverages sold in sachets.
