By Maryanne Awuya
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has doubled down on its total ban on sachet alcohol, announcing that its next enforcement phase will target distributors, retailers, and vendors holding remaining stock.
The final rollout follows nearly eight years of regulatory extensions, industry pushback, and intense lobbying.
The policy’s roots trace back to December 2018, when NAFDAC, the Federal Ministry of Health, and distillers signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) agreeing to a five-year phase-out period.
While enforcement was originally scheduled for January 2024, the timeline was repeatedly shifted into mid-2025 by NAFDAC and the executive arm to accommodate manufacturers’ concerns over inventory clearance and mass job losses.
This continuous cycle of grace periods effectively stalled the public health initiative, leaving the implementation hanging despite mounting concerns over substance abuse.
NAFDAC had commenced the first phased enforcement of the ban in January, starting with manufacturers, as part of efforts to gradually phase out the products from the Nigerian market.
According to the agency, the next stage of enforcement will target distributors, retailers, and sellers still in possession of the affected products.
The Director of Investigation and Enforcement at NAFDAC, Dr Martins Iluyomade, said the agency has completed the first phase of removing the products from manufacturers and is now moving into market-level enforcement.
“We have finished removing the products from manufacturers, and we are now moving to the next phase, which is removing them from the market,” he said.
He warned that violators would face sanctions, adding that investigations would also be carried out to trace how the products are still circulating despite earlier enforcement actions.
Iluyomade stressed that NAFDAC has legal authority over the manufacture, sale, distribution, and use of regulated products, including alcoholic beverages.
He also cautioned consumers, noting that using prohibited products could also place them on the wrong side of the law.
The NAFDAC official urged distributors and retailers still stocking sachet alcohol and other restricted products to discontinue sales ahead of full enforcement.
Iluyomade further warned advertisers, online vendors, and social media platforms against promoting unregistered products or making unapproved health claims.
“Whether you are a physical vendor or an online vendor, if your platform is used to advertise unregistered products or products without advertisement permits, we will come after you.”
NAFDAC said the enforcement is in line with global health standards and Sustainable Development Goal 3.5, aimed at reducing harmful alcohol use and preventing long-term health risks associated with consumption, especially among young people.
However, Persecondnews recalls the stalemate was broken not by regulatory agencies, but through a decisive legislative intervention by the Nigerian Senate late last year.
In November 2025, Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong sponsored a motion confronting the ongoing delays, warning that further extensions would betray public trust.
Backed firmly by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, the upper legislative chamber drew a hard line, ordering NAFDAC to terminate all grace periods and enforce an absolute cutoff by December 31, 2025.
The aggressive legislative mandate effectively stripped away room for further commercial lobbying, paving the way for NAFDAC to commence the current nationwide enforcement phase against manufacturers and retailers of alcohol in sachets and bottles under 200ml.
Labour unions also led protests at NAFDAC headquarters, Lagos and Abuja, fearing that ban would affect thousands of jobs.