By SCM Health Desk
LAGOS — The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has intensified its nationwide enforcement and mop-up operations to eradicate banned sachet alcohol and alcoholic drinks in Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) bottles below 200ml from the Nigerian market.
The regulatory agency revealed that recent raids across key industrial hubs, including Lagos and Ogun states, uncovered deliberate breaches by stubborn manufacturers.
According to NAFDAC, these operators continue to produce the prohibited items in secret locations, attempt to evade regulatory scrutiny, and, in some instances, launch physical attacks on enforcement officers executing their lawful duties.
Addressing journalists on the outcome of the nationwide sweep, the Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye, described the enforcement as a critical public health directive designed to safeguard children, adolescents, and other vulnerable populations from the devastating impacts of alcohol abuse.
Uncovering Hidden Facilities and Fresh Production
During the ongoing mop-up exercise, NAFDAC regulatory officers discovered that several recalcitrant distillers had adopted clandestine tactics to bypass government oversight.
”Some operators resorted to removing their factory signboards, while others relocated heavy production machinery to unregistered, off-site facilities to conceal their illegal activities,” Prof. Adeyeye disclosed.
Shockingly, enforcement teams confiscated packaging materials and finished products bearing production dates as recent as July 2026—proving that illegal production continued long after clear warnings and statutory deadlines were issued.
The NAFDAC chief strongly condemned the violent attacks on regulatory personnel, warning that the agency will not be intimidated or deterred by lawbreakers. She confirmed that security agencies have been engaged to track down, arrest, and prosecute all individuals involved in attacking officers or operating illegal alcohol distilleries. Offending factories are being sealed, and seized items are scheduled for destruction.
The current regulatory action represents the culmination of a multi-year strategy aimed at curbing high-concentration alcohol consumption among minors and commercial drivers.
The journey began in December 2018, when a high-powered committee comprising the Federal Ministry of Health, NAFDAC, and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), alongside industry representatives—including the Distillers and Blenders Association of Nigeria (DIBAN) and the Association of Food, Beverages and Tobacco Employers (AFBTE)—signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
Under the 2018 MoU, stakeholders agreed to phase out high-concentration alcoholic drinks in sachets and small bottles. Manufacturers were granted a five-year moratorium—ending January 31, 2024—to exhaust existing inventory and transition their production lines to larger packaging sizes (200ml and above).
Nigeria is also a signatory to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) 2010 Global Strategy to Reduce the Harmful Use of Alcohol (WHA63.13), which urges member states to limit children’s and young people’s access to cheap, highly potent alcoholic beverages.
Despite the expiration of the moratorium and subsequent directives, implementation faced friction from industry groups citing job losses and economic considerations, leading to various legislative interventions. However, following renewed resolutions by the Senate directing NAFDAC to enforce the prohibition without further extensions, the agency resumed full-scale, uncompromised enforcement.
Protecting the Future of Nigerian Youths
Reiterating NAFDAC’s unwavering stance, Prof. Adeyeye clarified that the policy is not aimed at destroying legitimate businesses or banning alcohol entirely, but rather at eliminating packaging styles that encourage dangerous consumption habits.
”NAFDAC is not against alcohol, but we are against its proliferation in high concentrations in sachets and small containers that make it easily accessible, highly affordable, and effortlessly concealable for children, adolescents, and commercial vehicle drivers,” Adeyeye emphasized.
Health experts have repeatedly warned that sachet alcohol, often containing alcohol concentration levels as high as 30 to 50 percent, presents serious public health hazards. Because sachets fit easily into pockets or school bags, they facilitate early onset drinking among school children, increase road crashes caused by intoxicated commercial drivers, and trigger long-term medical conditions such as liver cirrhosis, organ failure, and substance dependency.
To ensure total compliance, NAFDAC is coordinating with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the National Orientation Agency (NOA), and the FCCPC to expand public awareness campaigns on the health risks associated with sachet alcohol abuse.
The agency urged members of the public, community leaders, and market associations to support the campaign by reporting secret manufacturing sites and illegal distributors.
”The ban on sachet alcohol and PET bottles below 200ml remains fully in force and is non-negotiable,” Prof. Adeyeye affirmed. “We will sustain our nationwide mop-up until these prohibited products are completely wiped out from our streets and markets.”
