The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has announced that the production and sale of alcoholic beverages in sachets and bottles smaller than 200 millilitres will be completely banned by December 2025.
The agency’s Director General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, made this known during a press briefing in Abuja on Tuesday, explaining that the move is part of efforts to curb the increasing misuse of cheap alcoholic drinks among young people and commercial drivers.
Adeyeye noted that the easy availability and affordability of high-alcohol-content drinks in sachets and small containers had led to widespread abuse, especially among minors.
“The proliferation of high-alcohol-content beverages in sachets and small containers has made such products easily accessible, affordable, and concealable, leading to widespread misuse and addiction among minors and commercial drivers.
This public health menace has been linked to increased incidences of domestic violence, road accidents, school dropouts, and social vices across communities,” she stated.
The announcement follows a recent directive by the Senate, which mandated NAFDAC to enforce a total ban on sachet and small-container alcoholic beverages by December 2025, warning that no further extension of the deadline would be permitted.
The Senate’s resolution was based on a motion sponsored by Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong (Cross River South), who expressed concern over NAFDAC’s repeated postponements of the ban despite growing public health concerns.
Ekpenyong recalled that the agency had initially set 2023 as the deadline before shifting it to 2024 and later 2025 — a delay he said encouraged manufacturers to keep lobbying for extensions.
Adeyeye explained that NAFDAC had previously signed a Memorandum of Understanding with stakeholders to implement a phased withdrawal of the affected products, but emphasised that the new Senate directive would mark the final phase.
She urged all manufacturers, distributors, and retailers to begin full compliance ahead of the enforcement date, stressing that the measure is meant to protect public health rather than punish producers.
“This ban is not punitive; it is protective. It is aimed at safeguarding the health and future of our children and youth,” she said.
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