NAFDAC begins nationwide seizure of banned sachet alcohol, sub-200ml drinks, raids markets and motor parks

• NAFDAC has begun a sustained nationwide operation to remove banned sachet alcohol and sub-200 ml PET bottles from circulation.

• Enforcement teams are targeting markets, motor parks, shops, supermarkets, bars, and roadside distribution hubs across all six geopolitical zones.

• Manufacturers, distributors, retailers, and transporters still holding banned stock have been ordered to surrender it or face seizure, sanctions, and prosecution.

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has launched a sustained nationwide mop-up and enforcement operation to remove banned alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets and small Polyethene Terephthalate (PET) bottles with capacities below 200 ml from circulation across Nigeria.

The agency announced that enforcement teams have been deployed simultaneously across the country’s six geopolitical zones to seize non-compliant products and ensure full compliance with the long-standing ban.

According to NAFDAC, the ongoing operation targets alcoholic drinks packaged in sachets as well as PET bottles with capacities under 200ml. 

The agency said its teams are conducting raids and monitoring activities in open markets, motor parks, retail shops, supermarkets, bars, joints, and roadside distribution hubs nationwide.

NAFDAC also noted that the current mop-up exercise follows the earlier closure of manufacturing facilities that failed to comply with the ban. 

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It directed manufacturers, importers, distributors, wholesalers, retailers, street hawkers, and transporters still holding banned alcoholic beverages to immediately surrender their remaining inventory to the agency.

The regulator warned that anyone found stocking, transporting, or selling the prohibited products would face immediate seizure of the goods, regulatory sanctions, and possible criminal prosecution. 

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It clarified, however, that the enforcement does not apply to compliant manufacturers producing alcoholic beverages within the approved pack-size threshold of 200 ml and above.

This is not the first time NAFDAC has carried out enforcement actions against sachet alcohol and sub-200ml PET bottles. 

The ban originated from a 2018 tripartite agreement involving the Federal Ministry of Health, NAFDAC, and industry associations, including the Distillers and Blenders Association of Nigeria.

Under the agreement, a five-year moratorium was granted to allow manufacturers and distributors to phase out sachet alcohol and small PET bottles from the Nigerian market. 

The moratorium officially expired in February 2024, after which NAFDAC began implementing stricter enforcement measures, including raids, product seizures, and the shutdown of non-compliant factories across the country.

By renewing the nationwide operation, NAFDAC emphasised that the crackdown is not a one-off event but part of a sustained enforcement and public awareness campaign. 

The agency said the primary objective is to curb underage drinking, harmful alcohol consumption, and substance abuse, particularly among children, teenagers, and commercial drivers in motor parks.

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NAFDAC reiterated its commitment to protecting public health and ensuring that banned alcoholic products are permanently removed from circulation across Nigeria.