No going back on ban on sachet alcohol Intensifies – NAFDAC

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has drawn a fresh line in the sand, insisting that its ban on small-volume alcoholic drinks will be fully enforced across Nigeria.

The agency's Zonal Director for the South-East, Dr Festus Ukadike, made the position clear in Enugu on Friday, saying the enforcement campaign against manufacturers and distributors of sachet and other small-volume alcoholic beverages had already begun.

Ukadike, who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), said enforcement teams had already carried out arrests and seized prohibited products across Enugu, Imo, Abia, Ebonyi and Anambra states.

And according to him, the crackdown is not stopping with manufacturers and distributors.

The next phase, he said, will focus on clearing remaining stocks of the banned products from the market.

‘No going back’

Ukadike's message was unequivocal: the policy is staying.

He said there was no reversal in sight and dismissed concerns that the ban would cripple businesses operating in the alcoholic beverage industry.

According to him, manufacturers remain free to produce alcoholic beverages provided the products meet the permitted minimum volume of 200ml per bottle.

The distinction means the agency's target is specifically the small-volume format considered particularly accessible to young people, rather than a blanket prohibition on alcoholic beverages.

Children at the centre of crackdown

NAFDAC's strongest justification for the policy remains public health, particularly the exposure of children and young Nigerians to alcohol.

Ukadike said protecting children from developing unhealthy drinking habits was one of the key considerations behind the ban.

He argued that the easy availability and relatively low cost of sachet alcohol made the products particularly concerning from a public-health perspective.

“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 andither terminal diseases,” he said.

The agency's position reflects a broader concern that alcohol packaged in small, inexpensive quantities can make consumption easier for people who might otherwise be unable to afford larger bottles.

Enforcement moves beyond the factory

The latest warning signals a shift from policy announcement to market enforcement.

Manufacturers producing prohibited small-volume alcoholic products face regulatory action, while distributors and retailers holding the products are also coming under pressure.

Ukadike said the agency had already recorded arrests and seizures in the five South-Eastern states, indicating that enforcement is no longer limited to regulatory warnings.

The planned market mop-up could therefore put additional pressure on businesses still holding prohibited products, particularly retailers and distributors who may have purchased existing stocks before enforcement intensified.

Businesses get a lifeline

Despite the tougher stance, NAFDAC says the policy does not amount to shutting down Nigeria's alcohol industry.

Ukadike stressed that manufacturers can continue producing alcoholic drinks as long as they comply with the minimum permitted volume.

The message to businesses is therefore straightforward: change the packaging and volume, or face enforcement.

For NAFDAC, the ultimate objective is not simply to remove a category of products from shelves, but to reduce children's exposure to alcohol and its associated health and social consequences.

The coming phase of the crackdown will test how effectively the agency can clear banned products from markets across the country — and whether manufacturers, distributors and retailers will comply with the new rules.

For now, NAFDAC insists there will be no retreat.

The sachet alcohol ban is here to stay.