NAFDAC begins enforcement of Nigeria’s ban on sachet alcohol and sub-200ml PET bottles 

NIGERIA – Nigeria’s National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has confirmed it has begun enforcing the ban on the production and sale of alcohol packaged in sachets and PET bottles smaller than 200 millilitres.  

The move follows a directive from the Nigerian Senate aimed at addressing public health and safety concerns linked to the widespread availability of small-format alcoholic drinks. 

NAFDAC director-general Mojisola Adeyeye announced the development during a media parley organised by the agency in Lagos. The regulator had earlier, on November 11, 2025, said it would implement a total ban on the products by December 2025 in line with the Senate’s directive.  

However, the process was temporarily halted after the federal government ordered a suspension of all actions pending further consultations. 

Ms Adeyeye said the agency had now received a matching order from the Senate authorising it to proceed. She explained that the ban was driven by the need to protect public health, particularly among children, adolescents and young adults who are most vulnerable to alcohol misuse. 

“We already started the enforcement to ban alcohol production in sachets and bottles below 200ml, after we received an order from the senate to proceed. NAFDAC is not against alcohol, but we are against its proliferation of high alcohol content in sachets and small bottles, to prevent children from having easy access to it,” Adeyeye said. 

She noted that sachet and small-bottle packaging had made alcoholic drinks easier to access, more affordable and easier to conceal, contributing to harmful consumption patterns.  

According to Adeyeye, prior to her tenure at NAFDAC, sachet alcohol products contained between 50 and 90 percent alcohol, which she described as extremely high. 

“We asked the manufacturers to reduce the content to 30 per cent, and they went directly to the ministry to express their displeasure, citing loss of jobs and investment. The then-minister of health gave them a five-year period between December 2018 and January 31, 2024, to put their business in place,” she said. 

Adeyeye reiterated that NAFDAC remains committed to safeguarding public health through strict regulatory oversight. She said the agency’s actions are focused on protecting vulnerable groups while ensuring that the alcohol market operates within established safety standards. 

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