NAFDAC Bans Sachet Alcohol, Small Bottles from Dec. 2025; Enforcement Starts Jan. 2026

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has reaffirmed its commitment to fully enforce the ban on alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets and small bottles below 200ml by December 31, 2025, with strict enforcement beginning January 2026. This decisive move, backed by the Nigerian Senate and the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, aims to protect public health—especially children, adolescents, and young adults—from the widespread misuse and social consequences associated with cheap, easily concealable high-alcohol-content drinks in small packaging.

The ban is the result of a multi-year phase-out plan initiated in 2018 through a Memorandum of Understanding between NAFDAC, the Federal Ministry of Health, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, and industry stakeholders including the Association of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Employers (AFBTE) and the Distillers and Blenders Association of Nigeria (DIBAN). Originally set to end production and sales of sachet and small-bottle alcohol by January 2024, extensions were granted to accommodate the industry’s adjustment to new packaging standards, with the final deadline now set firmly for December 2025.

NAFDAC Director-General Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye highlighted that the affordability and concealability of alcoholic beverages in small sachets have contributed to increased addiction rates, domestic violence, road accidents, school dropouts, and other social ills. The ban specifically targets spirit drinks in sachets and containers below 200ml, aiming to reduce accessibility to vulnerable groups such as minors and commercial drivers. Prof. Adeyeye emphasized, “This ban is not punitive; it is protective. The health of a nation is its true wealth.”

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Starting January 2026, NAFDAC will intensify nationwide enforcement actions, working alongside security agencies to ensure full compliance. The agency has underscored that no further extensions will be granted as mandated by the Senate, urging manufacturers, distributors, and retailers to cease production and sales of the banned products immediately to avoid penalties. While industry groups have expressed concerns about economic impacts and loss of jobs, public health considerations remain paramount.