The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has stated why it begun enforcement ban on alcoholic beverages sold in sachets and in PET or glass bottles below 200ml, citing serious public health concerns, particularly for children.
In a video shared by the agency on Tuesday on its X handle, the Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, addressed the media, explaining that the measure is not aimed at adult consumption but is necessary to protect minors from early exposure to high-concentration alcohol.
“I’m not opposed to use of alcohol for adults. Adults’ physiological makeup is more matured to handle alcohol. But the point is, children are not small adults. Children are children. Their physiology is for children.
“When a child consumes alcohol or starts consuming alcohol early, their systems are exposed to alcohol early. So what the systems, their physiological systems cannot handle. Their physiological systems are exposed to alcohol early and there is always damage.”
Adeyeye emphasised that the concentration of alcohol in sachets can be dangerously high.
“Such as alcohol has concentration of like 43% alcohol. You can drink 2 sachets that are 10 times more than beer… because beer is about 6 to 8% alcohol. But some of the sachets of alcohol contain up to 43% alcohol,” she explained.
The Director-General outlined the timeline and background of the enforcement, noting that the ban had been discussed with relevant stakeholders over several years.
“I joined NAFDAC in 2017… and we said, OK, we cannot ban it now. Let’s reduce the concentration. But as we were doing all this, they went to the Ministry of Health in 2018 to report NAFDAC. So meetings were called… finally, in 2018, the Ministry of Health said, OK, let’s give a moratorium of five years. Because the complaints were going to affect jobs in 2018.
“Moratorium of five years for them to re-evaluate their work business plan. So that at the end of five years, there will not be sachet of alcohol, or alcohol in PET less than 200ml. All of us signed. NAFDAC, Ministry of Health, D-BAN, and AFBT,” she stated.
She explained that enforcement was initially delayed pending consultations. “We started enforcing February 1st, 2024… then we had to stop… Just to make sure that we agreed, come to some agreement. At the end of 2024, December, the minister said we should give a moratorium, an extra one year, to 2025, December. And that’s what we are doing.”
Adeyeye also addressed adult consumption, warning that even adults face risks if alcohol is taken in unsafe ways. “Even taking it, even as an adult, while working, may be dangerous. That is how easy a sachet of alcohol can be accessed,” she said.
This enforcement follows a November 11, 2025, announcement by NAFDAC to implement the ban by December 2025, aligning with a directive from the Senate. However, civil society organisations and employees of companies producing sachet alcohol protested the ban, citing potential economic impact.
Employees under the Food, Beverages, and Tobacco Senior Staff Association and the National Union of Food, Beverages, and Tobacco Employees warned that “no fewer than five million Nigerians would be affected, directly and indirectly, by the ban,” during demonstrations at NAFDAC’s Lagos office.
Adeyeye stressed that the policy is grounded in science and global best practices. The World Health Assembly had a meeting before my time, 2010, that all countries should debate on making alcohol inaccessible to children. And over 183 countries signed, including Nigeria, that we will not make alcohol accessible to children,” she said.
The NAFDAC DG emphasised that,“Children cannot handle alcohol the way adults can. Their organs are still growing. Adults can decide to drink themselves to death. I’m sorry. They are responsible. But children, no. That is why we are enforcing this ban.”
