The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has denied reports suggesting that the Federal Government ordered it to suspend enforcement of the sachet alcohol ban and restrictions on alcoholic drinks packaged in PET bottles below 200ml.
In a press statement released on Thursday and signed by the agency’s Director-General, NAFDAC described the claims as false, misleading, and not based on any official government directive. The agency insisted that it had not received any instruction to halt its regulatory activities and that the ban remains fully in effect.
NAFDAC stated that enforcement actions are ongoing, including the removal of prohibited sachet alcohol products and small-sized PET bottled alcoholic beverages from manufacturing companies.
The agency revealed that some manufacturers have already complied by stopping production of the affected pack sizes, acknowledging that the policy is meant to reduce underage access to alcohol.
NAFDAC also cited previous findings indicating that nearly half of minors and underage individuals patronise outlets that sell sachet alcohol and small PET bottled drinks, a key reason for the regulatory clampdown.
Reaffirming its commitment to public health and strict regulatory compliance, the agency warned against the spread of unverified information capable of causing confusion and misrepresenting government policy.
It urged the public, media organisations, and industry stakeholders to rely only on official communication channels for accurate updates on the matter.
