Adedokun Waliyu 
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) announced in Abuja on Tuesday that enforcement of the total ban on sachet and small PET bottle alcohol will begin in January 2026.
NAFDAC Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, stated this at a press conference, reaffirming the agency’s unwavering commitment to protecting public health and emphasizing that its responsibility to safeguard the nation’s well-being remained paramount.
Adeyeye said that the enforcement would ensure full compliance with the total ban on the production and sale of alcoholic beverages in sachets and PET bottles with a capacity of less than 200ml by December 2025.
She explained that the move aligned with the recent Senate directive and was fully supported by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, aimed at protecting Nigerians from the harmful effects of alcohol consumption.
According to Adeyeye, the measure underscores NAFDAC’s statutory duty to safeguard public health and shield vulnerable groups, especially children and young adults, from the harmful consequences of excessive alcohol consumption.
She warned that the proliferation of high-alcohol-content beverages in sachets and small containers made them affordable and concealable, contributing to addiction, misuse, and reckless behaviour among minors and commercial drivers.
Adeyeye added that the menace had been linked to increased domestic violence, road crashes, school dropouts, and several social vices, which had continued to destabilise families and communities nationwide.
“In December 2018, NAFDAC, the Federal Ministry of Health, and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Association of Food, Beverage, and Tobacco Employers (AFBTE) and the Distillers and Blenders Association of Nigeria (DIBAN).
“The agreement initially set Jan. 31, 2024, as the deadline but was later extended to December 2025 to allow manufacturers to reconfigure facilities and exhaust existing stock, Adeyeye explained.
She stated that the new Senate resolution aligned with that agreement and Nigeria’s commitment to the World Health Organization’s Global Strategy to Reduce the Harmful Use of Alcohol, adopted in 2010.
“This ban is not punitive but protective. It aims to secure the health and future of our children and youth, based on scientific evidence and global public health standards.”
