The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has uncovered fresh production of banned sachet alcohol, warning that manufacturers, distributors and retailers who continue to violate the prohibition will face stiffer regulatory sanctions.

The agency said enforcement of the Federal Government’s ban on alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets and in plastic bottles below 200 millilitres has intensified nationwide, with ongoing mop-up operations to remove the prohibited products from the market.

NAFDAC disclosed that recent enforcement operations revealed that some manufacturers had relocated production equipment from registered factories to unregistered locations to evade regulatory oversight. Enforcement teams also recovered banned 100ml PET bottles and sachet packaging materials bearing production dates as recent as July 23, 2026.

The Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, disclosed this at a press briefing, explaining that the enforcement exercise followed the Federal Government’s ban on the production, importation, distribution, sale, and consumption of alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets and PET bottles with volumes below 200ml.

She said the measure was introduced to curb alcohol misuse, particularly among children and young people. Adeyeye explained that the policy is backed by Senate resolutions adopted on November 6, 2025, directing NAFDAC not to extend the moratorium on sachet alcohol and small-volume alcoholic drinks, while urging the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to support strict enforcement.

According to her, the resolutions also called for the release of the National Alcohol Policy, which contained the prohibition, and it was subsequently approved by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare.

She recalled that NAFDAC, alongside the National Orientation Agency (NOA) and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), held a joint press briefing on March 3, 2026, to announce the commencement of full enforcement after the compliance deadline expired.

Explaining the rationale for the ban, Adeyeye said the products are inexpensive, portable and easily concealed, making them readily available in motor parks, kiosks, street corners and open markets, where they are easily accessible to children and adolescents.

She noted that their widespread availability has contributed to underage drinking, substance abuse, addiction and an increasing burden of alcohol-related illnesses.

Adeyeye said coordinated market raids and mop-up operations carried out over the past week across Lagos, Ogun, and several other states targeted the entire supply chain, including manufacturers, distributors and retailers still dealing in the prohibited products.

She disclosed that investigations revealed continued production of banned alcoholic beverages by some manufacturers despite repeated engagements with the agency and the ban’s full implementation.

According to her, enforcement teams recovered large quantities of packaging materials, including banned 100ml PET bottles and sachet packaging films, some bearing production dates as recent as July 23, 2026.

She said the discovery confirmed that some operators were still manufacturing the banned products only days before the enforcement exercise, describing the violations as deliberate attempts to circumvent the law rather than efforts to dispose of old stock.

Adeyeye further revealed that several manufacturers had relocated production machinery from registered factories to unregistered premises to continue operations outside regulatory oversight. She added that some companies removed signboards and nameplates from their facilities to conceal their identities and frustrate enforcement efforts.

According to her, enforcement officers also found crates of finished alcoholic beverages and banned 100ml bottles positioned close to production lines at one of the facilities visited, indicating that production was ongoing.

Adeyeye maintained that the nationwide mop-up operation marks a new phase in enforcing the alcohol ban and will continue until all prohibited products are removed from the market.

She warned that manufacturers found producing the banned products would have their facilities shut down, while seized products would be confiscated and destroyed. Distributors and retailers found handling the prohibited products, she added, would also face appropriate sanctions.

While reiterating NAFDAC’s commitment to working with compliant manufacturers, Adeyeye stressed that adherence to public health regulations is mandatory. She urged Nigerians not to purchase sachet alcohol or alcoholic beverages packaged in PET bottles below 200ml, and appealed to the public to report any manufacturer, distributor, or retailer involved in producing, transporting, or selling the banned products.

Adeyeye assured Nigerians that the agency would sustain the nationwide enforcement exercise, continue to shut down non-compliant factories, and prosecute operators attempting to evade regulation until the prohibited products are completely eliminated from the market in the interest of public health, particularly the protection of children and young people.