The federal government, through the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), has announced its plan to enforce the ban on alcoholic beverages produced in sachets less than 200ml.

The agency stated that the deadline for manufacturers to cease production of the drinks in sachets and PET bottles, initially set for 2018, lapsed on January 31, 2024.

The agency noted that the ban would be enforced starting from February 1, 2024.

According to Mojisola Adeyeye, the director-general of NAFDAC, the ban was not a sudden move.

She noted that the ban was the result of a collaborative effort by a multilateral committee. The committee’s strategy involved a gradual reduction in production by 50% by 2020, culminating in the full ban on January 31, 2024.

“This decision was based on the recommendation of a high-powered committee of the Federal Ministry of Health and NAFDAC on one hand, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), and the Industry represented by the Association of Food, Beverages and Tobacco Employers (AFBTE), Distillers and Blenders Association of Nigeria (DIBAN), in December 2018.

“As a commitment to the decision reached at the end of this Committee meeting, producers of alcohol in sachets and small volume agreed to reduce the production by 5% with effect from 31stJanuary 2022 while ensuring the product is completely phased out in the country by 31st January 2024,” she said.

According to Adeyeye, the decision to eradicate the beverages in sachets was driven by concerns over their harmful effects on young children.

She said because the drinks come in pocket-friendly sizes, accessible and affordable, children easily fell for the packages only to face the consequences in the future.

“The people who are mostly at risk of the negative effect of consumption of the banned pack sizes of alcoholic beverages are the under-aged and commercial vehicle drivers and riders,” she added.