NAFDAC Begins Crackdown on Alcoholic Beverages Below 200ml
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has launched an enforcement campaign against the sale of alcoholic beverages in sachets and PET bottles below 200ml.
The enforcement began at Rumuokoro Market in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, where large quantities of the banned products were discovered in two shops. A statement by the South-South Zonal Director of NAFDAC, Pharm. Chukwuma Oligbu, and signed by the zone’s Public Relations Officer, Cyril Monye, confirmed the operation.
The seized items included hundreds of cartons of alcoholic drinks in sachets and PET bottles. Efforts to remove the products were met with resistance from traders, who reportedly obstructed the exercise.
Background on the Ban
Pharm. Oligbu explained that manufacturers were given a five-year grace period, starting in 2018, to phase out the production of these beverages. This period ended in December 2023, with the official ban announced in February 2024 by NAFDAC’s Director-General, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye.
“The ban was a decision of a federal government multilateral committee involving all stakeholders. NAFDAC will not tolerate the continued endangerment of young Nigerians through the consumption of these spirits,” Oligbu stated.
Warning to Manufacturers and Traders
The statement reiterated that manufacturers must halt production of the prohibited products. NAFDAC vowed to intensify its crackdown, targeting supermarkets, shops, and street vendors across the country to seize banned items.
This action is part of NAFDAC’s broader efforts to safeguard public health and address the dangers posed by the consumption of high-alcohol-content beverages in sachets and small containers.