NAFDAC, Ogun Police Step Up Enforcement of Sachet Alcohol Ban to Protect Public Health.

NAFDAC, Ogun Police Step Up Enforcement of Sachet Alcohol Ban to Protect Public Health.

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) is intensifying efforts to enforce Nigeria’s ban on alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets and containers below 200 millilitres, with enforcement activities extending to Ogun State.

The regulatory action targets the production, importation, distribution, sale and use of alcoholic drinks packaged in sachets as well as PET and glass bottles below 200ml. NAFDAC says the policy is primarily aimed at protecting public health and reducing access to easily affordable alcoholic products, particularly among children, adolescents and young adults.

Recent enforcement operations have highlighted Ogun as one of the states where illegal production remains a concern. In July, NAFDAC sealed three facilities in the Ota area over alleged production of alcoholic drinks in prohibited sachet and small-volume packaging. The agency said the action formed part of its nationwide crackdown on manufacturers continuing to produce the banned products.

The renewed enforcement comes amid a broader nationwide mop up operation launched by NAFDAC in July 2026. The agency said its teams were conducting coordinated operations across the six geopolitical zones, including markets, retail outlets, motor parks, bars and other distribution channels, following the closure of non-compliant manufacturing facilities.

The Ogun State Police Command is expected to provide security and law enforcement support where necessary as regulatory agencies pursue compliance. Such inter agency cooperation is significant because enforcement increasingly involves identifying illegal production sites, removing prohibited products from circulation and addressing resistance or other violations encountered during operations.

NAFDAC Director General, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, has maintained that the ban remains in force. In July, she disclosed that enforcement teams had uncovered factories still producing prohibited sachet and sub 200ml alcoholic beverages, despite the nationwide prohibition. She warned that violating manufacturers could face closure, while distributors and retailers handling the banned products could also face sanctions.

The ban has also remained the subject of public and legal debate, particularly over its implementation and economic implications for businesses involved in the alcohol value chain. However, NAFDAC has consistently maintained that its enforcement powers are grounded in its statutory mandate. The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare similarly told the Federal High Court in February that NAFDAC has the legal authority to enforce the regulation.

For consumers and traders in Ogun, the enforcement means that sachet alcoholic drinks and alcoholic beverages packaged in containers below 200ml are not permitted for lawful sale or distribution. NAFDAC has urged businesses holding affected products to comply with the ban and surrender prohibited stock rather than continue trading in violation of the regulation.

The ongoing operation underscores the government’s broader public health objective of limiting access to small volume alcoholic products while strengthening regulatory oversight of Nigeria’s beverage market. Authorities are expected to sustain monitoring and enforcement as they work to prevent banned products from returning to circulation.