The Federal Government of Nigeria has banned the importation, manufacture, distribution, and sale of alcoholic beverages in sachets and bottles of 200ml and below.
Director-General of National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, said the agency has commenced the enforcement of the ban.
Adeyeye, who disclosed this at a news conference Monday, February 5, 2024, in Abuja, said the window period given to manufacturers by NAFDAC to sell off all alcoholic drinks in this category elapsed on January 31, 2024.
She said: “I also want to inform you that the agency has started enforcement actions to enforce the implementation of this policy.
“The window period given to manufacturers by NAFDAC to sell off all alcoholic drinks in this category elapsed on January 31, 2024.
“After the expiration of the window period, the agency commenced nationwide enforcement actions on February 1, 2024, to enforce the implementation of the new policy.”
Adeyeye said during enforcement actions, it was discovered that some manufacturers of the banned products were still producing the products, and still had stacks of both finished products and packaging materials of the products in their possession.
“This situation is of course not acceptable, and the agency views this as flagrant disobedience to the laws of Nigeria. NAFDAC views this matter seriously and will engage all statutory means, which may include prosecution, to deal with the matter.
“I want to use this medium to ask all holders of alcohol in sachets, PET and glass bottles, empty sachets, PET bottles, empty glass bottles, and other packaging materials of these banned products to immediately report to the Investigation and Enforcement Directorate of NAFDAC for hand-over of same to NAFDAC for destruction.
“NAFDAC is committed to ensuring that the validity of renewal of already registered alcoholic products in the affected category does not exceed the year 2024.
“NAFDAC is resolutely committed to the strict implementation of the regulations and regulatory measures towards safeguarding the health of Nigerians, particularly the vulnerable youth, against the dangers of reckless consumption of alcohol.”
On the other hand, environmentalists believe that the emergence of alcoholic drinks dispensed in sachets is a growing environmental hazard, joining items like styrofoam packs and single-use plastics in pollution the environment and blocking drainage channels.
In a related development, NAFDAC has called for stoppage of production of alcohol in sachets and pet bottles of less than 200ml by distillers.
Mr Kazeem Adeniran, Assistant Chief Regulator Officer, Investigation and Enforcement Department, NAFDAC, Lagos, made the call at a two-day enforcement exercise on Monday in Ota, Ogun State.
Adeniran said that his call was in line with the agreement reached by a tripartite committee set up in 2018.
He said that part of the agreement was that distillers, under Distillers and Blenders Association of Nigeria (DIBAN), should stop the production of alcohol in sachets and pet bottles of less than 200ml with effect from Jan. 31.
Adeniran said that the five-year grace was given to phase out the product.
The enforcement exercise was carried out in Ota and its environs to safeguard the lives of Nigerians.
Some of the companies visited for enforcement were: Nigeria Distilleries Limited, International Distillers Limited, Danzchiji Global Nigeria Enterprises and Euro Global Foods and Distilleries Limited, among others.
Adeniran said that the Federal Ministry of Health had set up the committee in 2018, of which NAFDAC and DIBAN were members, with other stakeholders to curb abuse of alcohol, especially among the youth.
Adeniran said that the alcohol above 200ml was approved by the committee for DIBAN members, expressing the regret, however, that what the investigation and enforcement team saw was different from what was agreed upon.
He admonished them against flouting the agreement reached by the tripartite committee in 2018.
“These companies were still producing those alcohols below 200ml at as the time we carried this enforcement exercise, which is not supposed to be.
“It is clearly stated after the meeting in 2018 that they should stop the production of such alcohol in sachets and pet bottles by 2024 and embark on production of alcohol above 200ml.
“Therefore, we are not expecting to see these alcohol sachets and pet bottles in any Nigerian market for consumption,” he said.
Adeniran said that all the products placed on hold in each of the companies visited would be evacuated, forfeited and destroyed.
He reiterated NAFDAC’s commitment to ensuring that goods being made available to Nigerians were safe for consumption.
In a drive to enforce the new directive, NAFDAC has sealed two factories for producing 100-millilitre plastic alcoholic beverage and lack of Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) in Enugu State.
NAFDAC enforcement operatives had focused on raiding seven marked alcoholic beverage factories in two days within the state – four factories in Nsukka axis and three in Enugu axis.
In the Nsukka axis, two factories were sealed, in another factory its workers ran away on sighting NAFDAC enforcement officers and the last factory was yet to start production.
In the Enugu axis, two of the factories sought were not in existence and the remaining one relocated from its known neighbourhood within the metropolis.
The leader of the NAFDAC enforcement team, Mr Wafar Elam, decried the negative effects of irresponsible alcoholic beverage consumption on the health, safety and security of the public.
Elam, an official of the Investigative and Enforcement Directorate of NAFDAC (covering South-South and South-East), said that relative ease and affordability of the small alcoholic beverage and its pocket-size nature had made some school children to abuse the beverage at will.
According to him, uncontrolled access and availability of high concentrated alcohol in sachets and small volume or glass bottles had been put forward as factor contributing to substance and alcohol abuse in Nigeria with its negative impact on the society.
He explained that the consumption of alcoholic beverage could lead to renal (or kidney) failure and all sorts of cancer as well as respiratory track infections.
“We are here to take an action and enforce the ban on the production of alcoholic drinks in sachets, small volume of plastic and glass bottles below 200 milliliters.
“During the raid, it was discovered that some factories had finished products, while others still have packaging materials in their possession,” he said.
Elam said that the raid followed the expiration of the deadline earlier given by NAFDAC for the ban on the production of alcoholic drinks in sachets, small volume glasses and bottles across the country.
He said: “The body (NAFDAC) had in 2018, directed the stoppage of production or sale of all alcoholic drinks in sachets, small volume glasses and bottles by the end of December 2023.
“This followed the recommendation of a committee comprising the Federal Ministry of Health, NAFDAC and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission and Industry in December 2018.
“The committee premised its arguments on the fact that the rate at which the underaged population has access to alcohol was quite alarming because the manufacturers of the products make it accessible and affordable to everyone.
“It argued that due to its availability in sachets, many people are exposed to drinking too much alcoholic beverage at an early stage in life. As a result, underaged drinking has become a major public health problem in the country.”
Environmentalists have also expressed concern over the indiscriminate disposal of alcoholic beverages sachets and plastic bottles.
A Brand Audit and clean up exercise conducted in November 7, 2023, by the Sustainable Research and Action for Environmental Development (SRADev) Nigeria in collaboration with Waste Pickers of Lagos (ASWOL) and Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) identified alcoholic drinks dispensed in sachets as a growing environmental hazard, contributing to pollution.
President of ASWOL, Mr Friday Oku, emphasised that waste generated from multi-layered plastics (MLPs) are increasingly becoming a menace, due to limited recycling value attached to the plastics.
The brand audit demands that top polluting fast-moving consumer goods corporations need to reveal the full extent of their plastic footprint, reduce it significantly by setting and implementing ambitious targets and, most importantly, redisign their packaging materials to be reusable or plastic-free.
