The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has partnered with the National Orientation Agency (NOA) and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) to launch a nationwide enforcement campaign against the sale and distribution of sachet alcohol and alcoholic beverages in bottles below 200 millilitres.
The development was disclosed in a press release signed by the Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye.
Enforcement on the ban on sachet alcohol took effect in January following a directive by the Nigerian Senate aimed at safeguarding public health and curbing underage drinking.
What they are saying
Speaking at a joint press briefing, the Director-General of NAFDAC said the renewed enforcement drive is driven by the urgent need to shield Nigerian children from alcohol abuse.
- According to the statement, she warned that alcohol remains easily accessible to minors because of its affordability and small packaging, stressing that early exposure increases the risk of addiction, poor academic performance and long-term health complications.
The Director-General of NOA, Lanre Issa-Onilu, described the campaign as a preventive intervention aimed at reducing access to cheap, high-strength alcohol among vulnerable groups.
- He said the agency would mobilise its nationwide network across all 774 local government areas to drive awareness through schools, markets, religious centres and media platforms. He added that the NOA CLHEEAN App would be deployed to enable citizens report violations and support enforcement.
NAFDAC, NOA and FCCPC jointly called on parents, community leaders, retailers and the public to comply with the ban, noting that protecting children from harmful substances requires collective responsibility.
Backstory
Manufacturers were granted a five-year moratorium in 2018 to transition away from the production of sachet alcohol and small high-strength alcoholic beverages following mounting public health concerns.
- While enforcement began in January, following a Senate resolution on November 6, 2025, the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) warned that the planned ban could result in the loss of over N1.9 trillion in investments and jeopardise more than five million direct and indirect jobs across the country.
- In February, NAFDAC refuted media reports that it had suspended enforcement of the ban.
The current nationwide campaign signals the beginning of stricter regulatory action as authorities move from the transition phase to full compliance enforcement.
What you should know
The enforcement action is backed by data from a 2021 nationwide survey on alcohol consumption patterns which found that 54.3 per cent of minors were able to obtain alcohol independently, with many purchasing sachet and small-bottle products.
Further analysis of the survey revealed worrying consumption trends:
- 63.2% of minors and 54.0% of underaged persons consume alcohol occasionally.
- 9.3% of minors and 25.2% of underaged children consume alcoholic beverages daily.
- 11.3% of minors and 9.4% of underaged persons drink alcohol at least once a week.
- Among adults, 44.3% drink occasionally, while 38.3% consume alcohol daily.
The data highlights widespread accessibility and frequent consumption across age groups, reinforcing regulatory concerns about the impact of cheap, small-packaged alcohol on young Nigerians.
