NAFDAC, NOA Launch Nationwide Enforcement on Sachet Alcohol Ban

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the National Orientation Agency (NOA) have officially launched a nationwide enforcement framework to ensure compliance with the Federal Government’s ban on sachet alcohol and alcoholic beverages packaged in containers below 200 millilitres.

The enforcement campaign was unveiled during a joint press briefing in Abuja, signalling the commencement of coordinated regulatory and behavioural change operations across the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory.

Director-General of NOA, Lanre Issa-Onilu, described the initiative as a public health intervention aimed at reducing underage access to cheap, high-concentration alcohol.

He noted that sachet alcohol products are inexpensive, portable, and easy to conceal, making them highly accessible to minors.

He explained that the agency would deploy its 818 offices across the country’s 774 local government areas to drive grassroots sensitisation and compliance monitoring.

Activities under the framework will include town hall meetings, market outreach programmes, school engagements, motor park campaigns, and partnerships with religious institutions.

Messages will also be disseminated in local languages to improve community understanding.

The agency plans to leverage television, radio, and digital platforms, including its CLHEEAN mobile application, to encourage citizens to report violations of the ban.

On her part, NAFDAC Director-General, Mojisola Adeyeye, said the enforcement aligns with legislative resolutions urging strict implementation of the ban and discouraging further extensions of the moratorium on sachet alcohol production.

The Federal Government had earlier banned the production and sale of alcohol in sachets and in PET or glass bottles smaller than 200ml, effective January 1, 2026.

Adeyeye disclosed that the policy is supported by findings from a 2021 nationwide survey conducted with the Distillers and Blenders Association of Nigeria, which showed significant underage access to alcohol.

The survey indicated that more than half of minors interviewed purchased alcohol themselves, with many obtaining sachet packs directly from retail outlets.

She warned that early alcohol exposure increases the risk of addiction, poor academic performance, road accidents, risky sexual behaviour, and long-term mental health complications, adding that alcohol consumption can adversely affect the developing brain.

Officials said the enforcement drive will target not only production and distribution channels but also retail outlets found violating the ban.

The framework is expected to strengthen regulatory surveillance, boost public awareness, and encourage community participation in protecting vulnerable populations from underage alcohol consumption.