Nigeria’s food and drug regulator has launched a nationwide campaign to strengthen enforcement of the federal ban on sachet alcohol and alcoholic beverages in bottles smaller than 200 milliliters.
The campaign is being carried out by NAFDAC in collaboration with the National Orientation Agency and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission.
At a joint press briefing in Abuja, NAFDAC Director General Mojisola Adeyeye said the initiative is aimed at protecting minors from the dangers of alcohol abuse.
She cited findings from a 2021 nationwide survey indicating that 54.3 percent of minors were able to obtain alcohol independently, often through sachets and small bottle products due to their low cost and easy accessibility.
Adeyeye warned that early exposure to alcohol can lead to addiction, poor academic performance and long term health complications.
She recalled that manufacturers were granted a five year moratorium in 2018 to transition away from sachet alcohol production, after which enforcement resumed in line with regulatory directives.
National Orientation Agency Director General Lare Issa Onilu described the campaign as a preventive intervention focused on reducing access to cheap high strength alcohol among vulnerable groups.
He said the agency will leverage its presence across Nigeria’s 774 local government areas to drive awareness through community engagement in schools, markets, religious institutions and media platforms.
He added that the NOA CLHEEAN app will be deployed to enable citizens report violations.
The agencies called on parents, community leaders, retailers and the public to support compliance, stressing that protecting children from harmful substances remains a shared responsibility.
