NAFDAC Begins Full Enforcement of Sachet Alcohol Ban December 2025

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has announced that full enforcement of the ban on the production and sale of alcoholic beverages in sachets and bottles below 200ml will begin in December 2025.

NAFDAC Director General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, disclosed this during a press briefing in Abuja on Tuesday, insisting that the deadline is final.

“This ban is not punitive; it is protective. It is aimed at safeguarding the health and future of our children and youth,” Adeyeye said.

She warned that no extension will be granted beyond December 2025.

Adeyeye said the proliferation of high-alcohol-content sachet drinks has made them cheap, accessible and easy to hide, encouraging misuse among minors, commercial drivers and vulnerable groups.

“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,” she stated.

She added that the decision is backed by scientific evidence, noting that sachet alcohol has been linked to rising cases of domestic violence, road accidents, school dropouts and other social problems nationwide.

“We cannot continue to sacrifice the well-being of Nigerians for short-term economic gain. The health of a nation is its true wealth,” she said.

According to the DG, the action follows a Senate resolution expressing concern about the easy access children have to cheap alcoholic sachets and their contribution to social vices.

In December 2018, NAFDAC signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding with the Federal Ministry of Health, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, and industry groups such as the Association of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Employers (AFBTE) and the Distillers and Blenders Association of Nigeria (DIBAN) to phase out sachet alcohol by January 2024.

The planned ban sparked protests by DIBAN at NAFDAC’s Lagos office, with the group warning that thousands of jobs could be lost and calling for a review.

Following the backlash, NAFDAC extended the moratorium to December 2025, allowing manufacturers time to exhaust old stock and reconfigure production lines.

Despite industry pressure, Adeyeye stressed that the new deadline is final, warning that the agency will begin strict enforcement immediately afterward.

The DG urged manufacturers and retailers to comply, adding that NAFDAC will collaborate with security agencies from January 2026 to ensure full implementation.

“This public health menace must be halted. The new deadline is absolute and no further extension will be granted,” she said.

The agency said enforcement teams will begin nationwide monitoring after the deadline to ensure the complete removal of sachet and small-bottle alcohol from the Nigerian market.