Prof Mojisola Adeyeye says manufacturers are still producing sachet and sub-200ml PET alcohol, as raids uncover fresh packaging materials and trigger renewed enforcement
The Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, has raised fresh alarm over the continued illegal production of banned alcoholic drinks in sachets and PET bottles below 200 millilitres, despite a nationwide prohibition by the Federal Government.
Also read: NAFDAC seals three Ogun plants over illegal sachet alcohol
Prof Mojisola Adeyeye disclosed the development during a press briefing at NAFDAC’s Lagos office on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, while providing an update on the agency’s nationwide mop-up operation targeting the prohibited alcoholic products.
The revelation came after coordinated enforcement raids across Lagos, Ogun and other states uncovered evidence suggesting that some manufacturers were still actively producing the banned drinks rather than merely selling old stock.
According to the NAFDAC boss, investigations traced some alcoholic products found in markets to factories that remained operational despite the ban and previous engagements between the agency and affected manufacturers.
Adeyeye said enforcement officers recovered 100ml PET bottles and rolls of sachet alcohol packaging bearing production dates as recent as July 23, 2026, indicating that some prohibited products were allegedly being manufactured just days before the briefing.
“Packaging materials dated July 23, 2026, were evacuated. That was four days ago.
These manufacturers were producing banned products this very month, just last week, even after the ban had taken full effect and after NAFDAC had already engaged them. This is not a misunderstanding. This is deliberate, calculated defiance of federal regulation,” she said.
The discovery has added a new dimension to the agency’s enforcement campaign, with NAFDAC now contending that some operators may be deliberately restructuring their businesses to avoid regulatory scrutiny.
Adeyeye alleged that certain manufacturers had moved production equipment to unregistered premises, while others reportedly removed company signboards in an attempt to conceal their identities from enforcement teams.
At one facility visited during the operation, she said officers found crates of finished alcoholic products alongside 100ml PET bottles positioned near production equipment, a combination she described as evidence that production was still taking place.
The enforcement exercise also reportedly exposed risks faced by regulatory personnel. Adeyeye said some NAFDAC officers were attacked while carrying out their duties, including one officer who was allegedly nearly stabbed and another who was physically assaulted.
The NAFDAC director-general condemned the incidents and warned that the agency would pursue those responsible.
“An attack on a NAFDAC officer carrying out a lawful regulatory duty is an attack on the Federal Republic of Nigeria. It is a criminal act. It will be investigated. It will be prosecuted,” she said.
The agency’s latest position signals a potentially tougher phase in the enforcement of the ban, as NAFDAC moves beyond monitoring products in markets to targeting the factories and networks allegedly responsible for their continued production.
Adeyeye reaffirmed that the mop-up operation would continue until prohibited sachet alcohol and alcoholic drinks packaged in PET bottles below 200ml are removed from circulation.
She warned that factories found producing the banned products would be shut down, while distributors and retailers involved in their sale could also face regulatory sanctions.
The NAFDAC boss acknowledged that the restrictions could create opportunities for black-market distribution, but maintained that the agency would continue strengthening surveillance and enforcement measures to prevent illegal trade from undermining the policy.
She urged Nigerians to avoid buying or selling the prohibited products and called on members of the public to report manufacturers, distributors and retailers suspected of continuing to produce or trade in them.
The Federal Government’s decision to prohibit alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets and PET bottles of 200ml and below followed recommendations from a high-powered committee comprising representatives of the Federal Ministry of Health, NAFDAC, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission and industry stakeholders.
The committee was constituted in 2018 and subsequently gave manufacturers a five-year transition period to phase out the products, with the deadline set for January 31, 2024.
The policy, however, has remained contentious, with manufacturers arguing that the ban could have significant consequences for the local manufacturing industry and threaten the livelihoods of thousands of workers.
Industry stakeholders have previously raised concerns about the economic implications of the restriction, while public health advocates have maintained that tighter controls are necessary to reduce harmful alcohol consumption and protect vulnerable groups, particularly young people.
The latest findings from NAFDAC suggest that the long-running dispute has entered a more confrontational stage, with the regulator insisting that the ban is now fully enforceable and warning manufacturers against attempts to circumvent it.
For NAFDAC, the discovery of recently dated packaging materials is a troubling indication that some operators may be treating the prohibition as negotiable.
Also read: NAFDAC begins nationwide sachet alcohol ban enforcement
The agency’s response is clear: enforcement will continue, and businesses found deliberately breaching the regulation will face the consequences.
Victory Emmanuel is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering news, business, and public affairs.
