The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has intensified its nationwide crackdown on alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets and PET/plastic bottles below 200ml, ordering affected manufacturers to recall the prohibited products from the Nigerian market.
The Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, disclosed this on Monday, August 24, 2026, during a press briefing, saying the enforcement was aimed at eliminating prohibited alcohol pack sizes from the market and protecting public health, particularly among children and young persons.
Adeyeye said the ongoing enforcement followed the execution of an Irrevocable Enforcement Undertaking by the Distillers and Blenders Association of Nigeria (DIBAN), the Association of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Employers (AFBTE) and their member companies.
Under the undertaking, affected manufacturers are required to immediately commence a nationwide recall of all alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets and PET bottles below 200ml from distributors, warehouses and other points within the supply chain.
The companies are also expected to submit periodic compliance reports to NAFDAC throughout the recall process.
The Director-General explained that the ban was the outcome of several years of consultations between the regulatory authorities, manufacturers and other relevant stakeholders, rather than an abrupt government decision.
She said NAFDAC first raised concerns in 2018 over the widespread availability of high-alcohol-content drinks packaged in sachets and small bottles, noting that the products were inexpensive, easy to conceal and readily accessible to minors.
The concerns led to consultations involving NAFDAC, the Federal Ministry of Health, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), DIBAN and AFBTE.
Following the consultations, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed in December 2018, providing a five-year moratorium for manufacturers to gradually phase out alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets and small-volume containers.
The manufacturers were given until January 31, 2024, to reconfigure their production lines, transition to larger packaging formats and phase out the prohibited products.
However, when the moratorium expired in January 2024 and NAFDAC commenced enforcement, the move faced resistance from industry stakeholders and attracted the intervention of the National Assembly.
Following further consultations, the Federal Government extended the deadline until December 31, 2025, allowing manufacturers and distributors additional time to adjust their operations and dispose of existing stocks.
The ban subsequently took full effect on January 1, 2026, covering alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets, PET/plastic bottles below 200ml and glass bottles below 200ml.
NAFDAC said the policy was aimed at reducing underage drinking, alcohol abuse and the easy accessibility of highly concentrated alcoholic beverages in small and inexpensive containers.
The Agency cited independent research which it said demonstrated the prevalence of underage access to alcoholic drinks through prohibited packaging formats.
According to the research, 47.2 per cent of minors and 48.8 per cent of underage persons who procured alcoholic drinks did so through sachets, while 41.2 per cent of minors and 47.2 per cent of underage persons procured alcoholic drinks in PET bottles.
Adeyeye said NAFDAC commenced the first tier of enforcement in January 2026, beginning with manufacturers after receiving legislative backing from the Senate.
She said any prohibited alcoholic products found within manufacturing facilities were evacuated and destroyed as part of the enforcement process.
The Agency subsequently commenced a second-tier nationwide mop-up operation in July 2026, targeting markets, motor parks, retail outlets, bars and distribution centres.
According to NAFDAC, the exercise uncovered banned products at some distribution centres, in violation of the prohibition.
The enforcement also resulted in the closure of some factories and the arrest of staff of companies allegedly found to be continuing the manufacture of sachet alcohol and other prohibited pack sizes.
NAFDAC subsequently required DIBAN and AFBTE to execute an Irrevocable Enforcement Undertaking on behalf of their member companies as a condition for the reopening of affected facilities.
The Agency said all recalled products would be subjected to inventory verification and destruction under NAFDAC supervision, with manufacturers required to bear the full cost of the destruction exercises.
NAFDAC has also imposed investigative charges on companies found to have violated regulatory directives relating to the manufacture and distribution of alcoholic beverages in prohibited package sizes.
The affected companies are required to settle the applicable charges within the stipulated period and comply fully with all regulatory directives issued by the Agency.
The Agency further warned that factories sealed for producing prohibited alcoholic pack sizes would not be reopened until satisfactory evidence was provided that the relevant production lines had been dismantled, permanently disabled or reconfigured to prevent further production.
NAFDAC officers will directly supervise and verify the dismantling, reconfiguration or decommissioning of the affected equipment before any facility can be reopened.
The Agency said reopening would also be subject to full compliance with the nationwide recall directive, payment of applicable investigative charges and regulatory fees, successful destruction of recalled products and satisfactory inspection and certification by NAFDAC.
Companies that fail to comply with the enforcement undertaking risk continued closure of their facilities, placement on NAFDAC’s Regulatory Watchlist, suspension or revocation of product registrations and criminal prosecution where applicable.
Adeyeye stressed that NAFDAC’s action was not a ban on alcohol consumption but targeted the proliferation of high-alcohol-content products in small, inexpensive containers that could make access easier for children and young people.
She said NAFDAC would continue to engage industry stakeholders while maintaining strict enforcement of regulatory directives designed to protect public health and reduce harmful alcohol consumption.
The Agency also urged members of the public to report the manufacture, sale or distribution of alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets and PET bottles below 200ml through its official communication channels or at the nearest NAFDAC office.
