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Begins enforcement of ban
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From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has resumed enforcement of the ban on the production and sale of alcoholic beverages in sachets and small-volume PET/glass bottles (below 200ml).
NAFDAC, in a statement on Thursday, noted that the decision, in line with the recent directive of the Senate and backed by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, underscores the Agency’s statutory mandate to safeguard public health and protect vulnerable populations, particularly children, adolescents, and young adults, from the harmful use of alcohol.
It recalled that 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) to phase out sachet and small-volume alcohol packaging by January 31, 2024.
It noted that the moratorium was later extended to December 2025 to allow industry operators exhaust old stock and reconfigure production lines.
NAFDAC emphasised that the Senate resolution aligns with the spirit and letter of the agreement, and with Nigeria’s commitment to the World Health Assembly Global Strategy Resolution to reduce the harmful use of alcohol (WHA63.13, 2010), to which Nigeria has been a signatory since 2010.
It explained that the aim of the resolution was to protect vulnerable populations such as children and the youth.
The Agency further stated that the proliferation of high-alcohol-content beverages in sachets and small containers less than 200ml has made such products easily accessible, affordable and concealable, leading to widespread misuse and resultant addiction among minors and some commercial drivers.
It noted that a lot of public health menace has been linked to increased incidences of domestic violence, road accidents, school dropouts and social vices across communities.
“Hence, placing a label to read ‘not for children’ on the sachets and the small containers will not work. It cannot be enforced because of the peculiarity of the society. Many parents don’t know their children take alcohol in sachet because the pack size can be easily concealed and the sachet is cheap,” the Agency noted.
Meanwhile, the Director-General of the Agency, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, said the ban was not punitive, but a protective measure. “It was aimed at safeguarding the health and future of our children and youth, by not allowing alcohol in small pack sizes.
“The decision was rooted in scientific evidence and public health considerations. We cannot continue to sacrifice the wellbeing of Nigerians for economic gain. The health of a nation is its true wealth.”
She reiterated that only two packages of alcoholic beverages are affected by the regulation, notably spirit drinks packaged in sachets and small-volume PET/glass bottles below 200ml.
Prof. Adeyeye called on all stakeholders, including manufacturers, distributors and retailers, to comply fully with the phase-out deadline, as no further extension will be entertained beyond December 2025.
She restated that the Agency will continue to work collaboratively with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the National Orientation Agency (NOA) and the FCCPC to implement nationwide sensitisation campaigns on the health and social dangers associated with alcohol misuse.
Prof. Adeyeye further stated that the Agency remains resolute in its mission to ensure that only safe, wholesome and properly regulated products are available to Nigerians.
