The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has ordered manufacturers of alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets and plastic bottles below 200 millilitres to immediately recall the products nationwide.
The agency also directed that the recalled products be destroyed under its supervision, with the affected manufacturers required to bear the cost of the destruction exercise.
The directive is part of NAFDAC’s intensified enforcement of the Federal Government’s ban on the production, importation, distribution, sale and use of alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets and PET bottles below 200ml.
NAFDAC Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, said the grace period previously given to manufacturers to phase out the prohibited products had expired.
She directed affected manufacturers to commence a nationwide recall of all remaining products from distributors, warehouses and other points within the supply chain and submit periodic compliance reports to the agency.
NAFDAC also warned manufacturers, importers, distributors, wholesalers, retailers, transporters and other stakeholders involved in the trade of the banned products to surrender remaining stocks or risk regulatory sanctions.
According to the agency, recalled products will undergo inventory verification before being destroyed under NAFDAC’s supervision.
Manufacturers found to have violated the regulatory directives may also be required to pay investigative charges and comply with other enforcement measures.
NAFDAC further stated that facilities involved in the production of the prohibited alcoholic beverages could remain sealed until satisfactory evidence is provided that the affected production lines have been dismantled, permanently disabled or reconfigured to prevent further production.
The ban on sachet alcohol and small-volume alcoholic beverages has been in the works since 2018, following consultations between the government, regulators and industry stakeholders. A five-year phase-out period was subsequently provided for manufacturers to reconfigure their production lines and move to larger packaging formats.
NAFDAC commenced the first phase of enforcement in January 2026 after receiving legislative backing for the ban.
The agency has maintained that the enforcement is aimed at strengthening regulation of alcoholic beverages and addressing public health concerns associated with the availability of small-volume alcoholic products.
