National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has reaffirmed that it will not reverse the ban on the production, distribution and sale of small-volume alcoholic beverages in Nigeria.
The agency’s South-East Zonal Director, Dr Festus Ukadike, said enforcement of the ban was already underway, with officials targeting manufacturers and distributors of sachet alcoholic drinks across the country.
Speaking in an interview, Ukadike said the next phase of the exercise would focus on removing the remaining affected products from the market.
He disclosed that enforcement operations had already resulted in arrests and seizures in several South-East states, including Enugu, Imo, Abia, Ebonyi and Anambra.
According to him, the implementation of the policy will not disrupt legitimate business activities, as manufacturers are still permitted to produce alcoholic beverages packaged in bottles of 200 millilitres or more.
Ukadike said the decision was primarily aimed at protecting children and young people from early exposure to alcohol and its associated health and social consequences.
“If our children are no longer exposed to sachet alcohol, they will live healthier lives, curb antisocial behaviours and promote the country’s fight against cancer and other terminal diseases,” he said.
He urged Nigerians to consume alcoholic beverages responsibly, noting that the withdrawal of sachet alcohol from the market should not be regarded as a major inconvenience.
Addressing concerns over affordability, the NAFDAC official maintained that public health and safety must take precedence over commercial considerations.
Ukadike added that the country was expected to have, within the next 12 months, a comprehensive regulatory framework under which no alcoholic beverage would be sold in packaging smaller than 200ml.
Some consumers expressed differing opinions on the policy.
A resident, Charles Otubo, suggested that rather than imposing a nationwide ban, authorities should restrict the sale of alcoholic beverages around motor parks to reduce incidents of drunk driving and road traffic crashes.
Another consumer, identified simply as Godwin, supported the agency’s action, saying he had observed schoolchildren purchasing sachet alcoholic drinks and taking them to school in their bags.
He recommended that alcoholic beverages should be sold only through licensed liquor stores to limit access by underage persons.
NAFDAC has consistently maintained that restricting the availability of small-volume alcoholic drinks forms part of broader efforts to reduce alcohol abuse, especially among young people, and improve public health outcomes.
