Nigerian Federal Government has formally prohibited the production, sale, and distribution of alcoholic beverages in sachets and small bottles of 200 milliliters and below, with enforcement set to begin on January 1, 2026.
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) announced the measure on Tuesday November 11, 2025, stating that the move aims to protect public health and curb alcohol abuse among vulnerable groups.
Addressing journalists in Abuja, NAFDAC Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, said the decision followed a resolution of the Nigerian Senate and a directive from the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare. She confirmed that the government has also approved the recruitment of 1,000 additional staff to strengthen the agency’s regulatory enforcement capacity starting in December.
“This decisive action, ordered by the Senate and backed by the Federal Ministry of Health, underscores our mandate to safeguard public health and protect vulnerable populations—particularly children, adolescents, and young adults—from the harmful use of alcohol,” Adeyeye stated.
According to her, the proliferation of high-alcohol-content drinks in sachets and small containers has made such products cheap, easily accessible, and concealable—fueling widespread misuse and addiction, especially among minors and commercial drivers.
She warned that uncontrolled alcohol sales have become both a public health concern and a national security issue, noting that early consumption among youths often leads to substance abuse and crime.
“This menace has been linked to increased cases of domestic violence, road accidents, school dropouts, and other social vices,” she added.
Read Also: Drug Hawkers Are Merchants Of Death – NAFDAC Warns
Prof. Adeyeye emphasized that the ban is protective, not punitive, stressing that it is based on scientific evidence and aimed at safeguarding the nation’s youth.
“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.
Only spirit drinks packaged in sachets and PET/glass bottles below 200ml fall under the new restriction.
Recalling NAFDAC’s earlier efforts, Adeyeye said the agency, in 2018, signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Federal Ministry of Health, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), and industry associations such as the Association of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Employers (AFBTE) and the Distillers and Blenders Association of Nigeria (DIBAN) to phase out sachet and small-size alcohol packaging by January 2024.
The deadline was later extended to December 2025 to allow manufacturers to exhaust existing stock and reconfigure production lines. She said the current ban aligns with the World Health Organization’s (WHO) global strategy to reduce harmful alcohol use, to which Nigeria is a signatory.
NAFDAC urged all manufacturers, distributors, and retailers to comply with the phase-out timeline, warning that no further extension would be granted.
For enforcement, Adeyeye said the agency would collaborate with the Federal Ministry of Health, FCCPC, and the National Orientation Agency (NOA) to roll out nationwide sensitization campaigns highlighting the health and social risks of alcohol misuse.
