The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has stated that it did not take a unilateral decision to ban the production of alcoholic beverages in sachets and small volume PET and glass bottles below 200mls, but it was a collective decision.
Mojisola Adeyeye, director-general of the agency, who made this known in a statement on Thursday, was informed that the decision to implement the ban was a recommendation from a committee comprising representatives from various key stakeholders.
According to her, representatives in the committee include the Federal Ministry of Health, NAFDAC and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC); the Association of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Employers (AFBTE), and the Distillers and Blenders Association of Nigeria (DIBAN).
She added that the recommendation to ban these categories of alcohol was not hasty, as it had been a five-year phase-out plan which started in January 2019 and ended on Jan. 31, 2024.
“The five-year period granted to the industry stakeholders was a practical, reasonable and sufficient time for full compliance with the phase-out of alcoholic beverages in sachets and small volume PET and glass bottles below 200mls.
“To avoid doubt, it is important to emphasise that the ban only affects alcoholic beverages in sachets and small volume PET and glass bottles below 200mls”, she added.
The NAFDAC boss stressed that the primary motive behind the ban is the accessibility, affordability, and portability of high-content alcohol in sachets and small-volume PET and glass bottles below 200.
She added that it is a crucial step in curbing the harmful effects of alcohol and promoting the overall well-being of the population.
