The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has confirmed that it will not lift the ban on alcoholic drinks sold in sachets and other small packages in Nigeria.
Speaking in an interview, NAFDAC’s South-East Zonal Director, Dr. Festus Ukadike, said the agency has already started enforcing the ban by targeting manufacturers and distributors of the affected products.
He explained that the next stage of the operation will focus on removing the remaining sachet alcoholic drinks from shops and markets across the country.
Ukadike stressed that the ban is not meant to shut down legitimate businesses. He said companies can still produce and sell alcoholic drinks in bottles of 200 millilitres or larger.
According to him, NAFDAC has already carried out enforcement operations in several South-East states, including Enugu, Imo, Abia, Ebonyi, and Anambra, leading to arrests and the seizure of banned products.
He said one of the main reasons for the ban is to protect young people from easy access to alcohol. According to him, reducing the availability of sachet alcohol will help discourage underage drinking, reduce anti-social behaviour, and support efforts to fight alcohol-related health problems.
Ukadike also advised adults to drink responsibly, saying the removal of sachet alcohol should not be seen as a major inconvenience.
He added that within the next 12 months, Nigeria is expected to fully enforce regulations that prohibit the sale of alcoholic drinks in containers smaller than 200 millilitres.
Some members of the public shared different opinions about the policy. While one resident suggested the ban should apply mainly in motor parks to help reduce drink-driving, another said he had seen schoolchildren buying sachet alcohol and taking it to school, adding that alcoholic drinks should only be sold in licensed liquor stores.
