NOA, NAFDAC Begin Nationwide Enforcement Of Sachet Alcohol Ban

The National Orientation Agency and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control have begun a nationwide campaign to enforce Nigeria’s ban on alcohol sold in sachets and in bottles below 200 millilitres.

At a joint event in Abuja on Tuesday, NOA Director-General Lanre Issa-Onilu said the action is aimed at reducing underage drinking and limiting access to low-cost alcohol products that are easy to hide and carry. He said the campaign is being run with NAFDAC and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission.

Issa-Onilu said the Federal Government’s restriction took effect on January 1, 2026, and should be treated as a public health and social protection measure. He said small alcohol packs have made drinking easier for children and other vulnerable groups because they are cheap and widely available through neighbourhood retail channels.

He said prevention must be the priority, adding that the cost of early intervention is lower than the social and health damage caused by unchecked alcohol abuse. According to him, the three agencies are combining regulatory action, consumer protection checks and community education to support compliance.

Under the arrangement, NAFDAC will drive enforcement at production and distribution points, FCCPC will monitor market conduct and consumer rights issues, while NOA will coordinate awareness work at the grassroots. NOA said it will use its offices across all 774 local government areas and mobilise officers to engage schools, youth groups, transport unions, market associations, artisans and faith-based organisations.

Officials said communication will run across radio, television, digital platforms and social media, and members of the public can report suspected violations through the NOA CLHEEAN app.

At the same briefing, NAFDAC Director-General Mojisola Adeyeye presented findings from a 2021 survey conducted in six states representing Nigeria’s geo-political zones. The survey, sponsored by the Distillers and Blenders Association of Nigeria and carried out by Research and Data Solutions Ltd in Abuja, covered 1,788 respondents between June and August of that year.

Adeyeye said the findings show broad access to alcohol among minors and underaged persons. She said 54.3 per cent of respondents in those categories said they buy alcohol themselves, and 49.9 per cent said they purchase from retailers that sell sachets and small PET bottles.

She said 47.2 per cent of minors and 48.8 per cent of underaged persons who buy alcohol directly choose sachets, while 41.2 per cent of minors and 47.2 per cent of underaged respondents buy PET bottles. She added that 27.6 per cent of underaged respondents reported buying alcohol in glass bottles.

The NAFDAC chief said informal access pathways are also common. According to the data she cited, 49.9 per cent of minors get alcohol through friends and relatives, 45.9 per cent at social events, and 21.7 per cent from their parents’ homes.

On use patterns, she said 63.2 per cent of minors and 54.0 per cent of underaged persons drink occasionally. But she said daily use was also reported by 9.3 per cent of minors and 25.2 per cent of underaged respondents. She added that 2.5 per cent of minors and 11.7 per cent of underaged children reported binge drinking, with the highest prevalence found in Gombe, the Federal Capital Territory and Anambra.

Adeyeye said drivers of the trend include peer influence, parental habits, emotional stress, broad physical access to alcohol outlets and advertisement exposure.

She warned that early alcohol use can affect brain development and increase risks of poisoning, long-term dependence, liver and kidney problems, mental health conditions, violence, unsafe sexual behaviour, weak school performance and road crashes.

She also referred to Senate resolutions of November 6, 2025, which called on NAFDAC not to extend the moratorium on the ban and urged strict enforcement. Adeyeye said limiting access to small, conceal-able pack sizes can reduce alcohol access by children.

Both agencies called on parents, guardians, retailers and community leaders to cooperate with enforcement officers and public education teams. They said sustained compliance and community reporting will determine whether the policy delivers measurable protection for Nigerian children and adolescents.