By Opeyemi Adelakun
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has ordered manufacturers and distributors to commence a nationwide recall of alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets and PET or glass bottles below 200ml.
The directive forms part of intensified enforcement of the Federal Government’s ban on the production and sale of the affected alcoholic products, which officially took effect on January 1, 2026.
Speaking at a press briefing in Lagos on Monday, NAFDAC Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, said the agency had commenced full enforcement following an Irrevocable Enforcement Undertaking signed by the Distillers and Blenders Association of Nigeria, the Association of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Employers and their member companies.
Under the undertaking, affected manufacturers are required to remove prohibited products from distributors, warehouses and other points within the supply chain.
NAFDAC said the recalled products would be subjected to inventory verification before being destroyed under the agency’s supervision, with the manufacturers responsible for the cost of the exercise.
The agency said the enforcement was driven by public health concerns, particularly the ease with which children and young people could obtain highly concentrated alcoholic drinks sold in cheap and easily concealed packages.
According to NAFDAC, concerns over sachet alcohol and small-volume alcoholic beverages date back to 2018, when regulators began consultations with the Federal Ministry of Health, Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, DIBAN and AFBTE.
A five-year moratorium was subsequently granted in 2019 to enable manufacturers to modify their production lines, adopt larger packaging formats and phase out the prohibited products.
Although the initial deadline expired on January 31, 2024, the Federal Government later extended the transition period until December 31, 2025. The ban subsequently came into effect on January 1, 2026.
NAFDAC said research supporting the policy found that 47.2 per cent of minors and 48.8 per cent of underage drinkers surveyed obtained alcoholic beverages in sachets, while 41.2 per cent of minors and 47.2 per cent of underage drinkers obtained them in PET bottles.
The agency said enforcement initially focused on manufacturers in January, with prohibited products discovered within production facilities evacuated and destroyed.
It later expanded the exercise in July through a nationwide mop-up targeting markets, motor parks, retail outlets, bars, distribution centres and warehouses.
NAFDAC disclosed that some prohibited products were still discovered at distribution centres during the mop-up, resulting in the closure of facilities and arrests of individuals allegedly linked to continued production.
The agency further stated that sealed factories would only be reopened after manufacturers demonstrate that production lines used for the prohibited package sizes have been dismantled, permanently disabled or reconfigured.
Manufacturers must also demonstrate full compliance with recall directives, pay applicable investigative and regulatory fees, complete the destruction of recalled products and obtain NAFDAC certification before their facilities can reopen.
The agency warned that companies that fail to comply could face prolonged closure, placement on its Regulatory Watchlist, suspension or revocation of product registrations and possible criminal prosecution.
Adeyeye stressed that the policy was not a prohibition on alcohol consumption but a public health measure intended to reduce vulnerable groups’ access to highly concentrated alcoholic beverages.
NAFDAC urged Nigerians to report the manufacture, sale or distribution of alcoholic drinks packaged in sachets or PET bottles below 200ml through its official communication channels or at the nearest NAFDAC office.
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