The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, has ordered manufacturers to recall alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets and containers below 200ml.
The directive forms part of the Federal Government’s intensified enforcement of regulations aimed at reducing alcohol-related harm in Nigeria.
Under the directive, manufacturers are required to conduct a proper inventory of affected products and destroy them under NAFDAC’s supervision.
The companies involved will also bear the cost of the recall and destruction exercise.
The agency said the enforcement action was aimed at removing prohibited small-volume alcoholic beverages from circulation.
NAFDAC said restricting access to such products was particularly important in protecting young people from alcohol-related harm.
The prohibition on the production, importation, distribution and sale of alcoholic drinks packaged in sachets and containers below 200ml became fully effective on January 1, 2026.
This followed the expiration of the transition period previously granted to manufacturers to comply with the regulation.
NAFDAC warned manufacturers, distributors and other businesses against violating the directive, stressing that offenders could face regulatory sanctions.
The latest enforcement comes as the Federal Government begins implementing the Nigeria Alcohol Policy and its Multisectoral Implementation Plan 2026–2030.
The policy was launched in Abuja by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.
It provides a national framework for tackling harmful alcohol use and regulating different aspects of alcohol production, distribution, marketing and consumption.
Speaking at the launch, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, represented by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Daju Kachollom, identified harmful alcohol use as a major public health concern.
She also highlighted concerns surrounding the circulation of illicit and unregulated alcohol products.
The Federal Government stressed that implementing the policy would require cooperation across different sectors.
Kachollom called for collaboration among government agencies, alcohol producers, civil society organisations and other stakeholders.
She said coordinated action was necessary because alcohol-related harm extends beyond the health sector and is associated with several health and social problems.
The government said the new policy, combined with stronger enforcement of existing regulations, would promote responsible alcohol consumption.
It added that the measures were intended to reduce alcohol-related harm and protect the health and wellbeing of Nigerians.
The NAFDAC recall directive therefore represents part of the broader government effort to strengthen controls over alcoholic beverages and limit access to prohibited products.
