The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) would not approve the registration of alcohol products packaged in sachets going forward, the agency’s Director-General, Mojisola Adeyeye has disclosed.
The decision will deny Alcohol companies in Nigeria the opportunity to register their sachet products which the food agency said has led to an increase in drug and alcohol abuse in the society.
NAFDAC’s announcement is in line with the agency’s mandate to curb drug and alcohol abuse among the youth population, and in Nigeria generally. The alcohol packaged in sachet has reportedly penetrated the market in Nigeria, mostly sold inside transportation parks and streets.
The sachet packs have made it easier for the underage population to have access to alcohol products without restriction. The Agency also said it intends to phase out pet bottles used in packaging of alcohol.
NAFDAC, herbalists collaborate to curb substandard products
Adeyeye made the decision public during a parley with stakeholders in food and drugs manufacturing, where she also declared support for local traditional herbalists and researchers.
“The agency remains undaunted in its efforts to reduce the incidence of substandard and falsified products as well as the smuggling and abuse of various products”.
“The agency is keen on having herbal medicines widely accepted as safe; hence we will continue to test them for clinical efficacy before giving full registration status.
“We are also on a mission to turn herbal medicines into products that can be commercialised through collaboration between traditional herbalists and academic researchers.
“In encouraging local manufacturing of medicines that are usually imported, the agency will enforce a five-year importation permit given to manufacturers with a mandate that they produce five-year plan geared towards local manufacturing upon renewal.
“In addition, the agency will also give five-year exclusive rights to companies to market their products without competition if they develop food and drugs that show demonstrable research and development innovation.”
