The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has seized alcoholic beverages estimated at N300 million during enforcement operations in three major markets in Lagos State, as the regulator intensifies its nationwide crackdown on prohibited sachet and small-volume alcoholic drinks.
NAFDAC carried out the latest operations at Ile-Epo Market, Ojuwoye Market in Mushin and Oke-Arin Market on Lagos Island, where officials evacuated cartons of alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets and polyethylene terephthalate bottles below 200 millilitres.
Also read: NAFDAC seeks tougher penalties for brand counterfeiters
The agency also arrested some distributors and retailers found handling the prohibited products, according to a statement issued by NAFDAC on Sunday.
The latest action comes amid an increasingly aggressive enforcement campaign by the regulator following the full implementation of the Federal Government’s prohibition on the production, importation, distribution and sale of alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets and containers below 200ml.
NAFDAC said its investigations showed that some distributors and retailers were hoarding the banned products because of increased demand and rising prices.
“Officials evacuated several cartons of alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets and PET bottles below 200ml from these locations,” the agency said.
“Distributors and retailers were arrested during operations at Ile-Epo Market, while raids were also conducted at Ojuwoye Market, Mushin, and Oke-Arin Market, Lagos Island.”
The agency valued the seized products at approximately N300 million.
NAFDAC said the enforcement was aimed at ensuring that prohibited alcoholic products do not remain in circulation despite the ban.
The agency warned distributors, retailers and other operators involved in the supply chain against selling, distributing or storing the affected products.
“NAFDAC emphasises that the ban remains in force and warns distributors, retailers and other operators against the sale, distribution or hoarding of the prohibited products,” the agency stated.
The Lagos operation is part of a wider enforcement campaign that has been gathering pace throughout 2026.
The Federal Government’s prohibition followed years of consultations involving regulators, government agencies and representatives of the alcoholic beverage industry over concerns about the availability of alcohol in small, inexpensive and easily concealed containers.
The policy was also linked to concerns over underage drinking and alcohol abuse, particularly because sachet and small-volume products can be relatively cheap and readily accessible.
Manufacturers were initially given a lengthy transition period to phase out the affected products.
The original phase-out deadline was set for 31 January 2024, but the transition period was subsequently extended to 31 December 2025 following interventions and discussions involving government, regulators and industry stakeholders.
The prohibition therefore became fully enforceable from 1 January 2026.
The ban covers alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets as well as PET and glass bottles below 200ml.
NAFDAC began its first phase of enforcement against manufacturers early in the year before expanding the exercise to markets, motor parks, retail outlets, bars, warehouses and other points through which the products could enter the supply chain.
By July, the agency had begun a nationwide mop-up operation across all six geopolitical zones.
NAFDAC Director-General, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, subsequently disclosed that enforcement teams had uncovered evidence that some manufacturers were still producing the banned drinks despite the prohibition.
During enforcement operations in Lagos, Ogun and other states, officials reportedly found packaging materials bearing production dates from July 2026, raising concerns that some operators were producing the prohibited beverages months after the ban had taken effect.
Adeyeye said some manufacturers had allegedly attempted to evade regulatory scrutiny by relocating production equipment to unregistered premises or removing company signboards.
The NAFDAC boss also disclosed that enforcement officers had faced resistance during some operations, including incidents in which officers were allegedly assaulted while carrying out their duties.
She warned that attacks on regulatory officials would be investigated and prosecuted, stressing that such incidents would not stop the agency from enforcing the prohibition.
The regulator’s campaign has not been limited to retailers.
In August, NAFDAC ordered manufacturers of the prohibited alcoholic beverages to commence a nationwide recall of products already in the supply chain.
The agency directed manufacturers to retrieve the affected products from distributors, warehouses and other points of distribution and submit compliance reports.
It also ordered that recalled products be destroyed under NAFDAC’s supervision, with manufacturers expected to bear the cost of the exercise.
Manufacturers whose facilities were found to be producing the prohibited products were warned that their factories could remain closed until they demonstrated compliance.
NAFDAC said affected production lines would have to be dismantled, permanently disabled or reconfigured under the supervision of its officials before facilities could be considered for reopening.
The agency also said operators could face regulatory sanctions, including continued closure, suspension or revocation of product registrations and possible criminal prosecution, depending on the circumstances.
The latest Lagos seizures suggest that the enforcement challenge extends beyond manufacturing plants to the wider distribution network.
Although manufacturers have been ordered to recall the products, NAFDAC’s discovery of large quantities in major markets indicates that some banned beverages have continued to move through commercial channels.
The agency’s finding that some traders were allegedly hoarding the products amid rising demand and prices also points to the potential economic incentives sustaining the trade.
For consumers, the prohibition is not a general ban on alcoholic beverages.
Rather, it specifically targets products packaged in sachets and containers below the, distributors and retailers still producing or selling the prohibited products through its official channels or at the regulator has become increasingly direct: remaining stocks of the prohibited products should not be sold, distributed or prescribed 200ml threshold.
NAFDAC has maintained that the measure is intended to reduce access to certain forms of alcohol, particularly among children and young people, and to address concerns about alcohol abuse.
The agency has urged Nigerians to report manufacturers, distributors and retailers still producing or selling the prohibited products through its official channels or at the nearest NAFDAC office.
For businesses operating in Lagos and elsewhere, the message from the regulator has become increasingly direct: remaining stocks of the prohibited products should not be sold, distributed or deliberately stored.
The seizure of products estimated at N300 million in Lagos therefore represents more than another market raid.
It is part of a broader and increasingly forceful attempt by NAFDAC to clear banned alcoholic products from Nigeria’s commercial supply chain after years of phased implementation and repeated distributors and retailers whose activities could determine how quickly the prohibited products disappear from markets across warnings.
Also read: NAFDAC seeks tougher penalties for brand counterfeiters
As enforcement continues, attention is likely to remain on manufacturers, distributors and retailers whose activities could determine how quickly the prohibited products disappear from markets across the country.
Mariam Balogun is a contributor to Freelanews.com, covering news, business, and public affairs.
