The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has ordered manufacturers of alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets and PET bottles below 200ml to recall the products nationwide.

The agency also ordered the destruction of the recalled products under its supervision, saying manufacturers will bear the full cost of the exercise.

In a statement issued on Monday by its Director General, Mojisola Adeyeye, NAFDAC said the directive followed the signing of an Irrevocable Enforcement Undertaking by the Distillers and Blenders Association of Nigeria (DIBAN), the Association of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Employers (AFBTE), and their member companies.

Under the undertaking, affected manufacturers are required to immediately recall the prohibited alcoholic drinks from distributors, warehouses and other points within the supply chain and submit periodic compliance reports to NAFDAC.

The agency said all recalled products would undergo inventory verification before being destroyed under its supervision.

“The agency wishes to emphasise that all recalled alcoholic products shall be subjected to inventory verification and destruction under NAFDAC supervision in accordance with the terms of the enforcement undertaking,” it noted.

NAFDAC’s supervision

NAFDAC also said manufacturers whose facilities were sealed for producing the prohibited alcoholic drinks would have to “dismantle, permanently disable or reconfigure” the production lines used for the affected pack sizes before their facilities can be reopened.

It said such work must be carried out under the direct supervision and verification of NAFDAC officers.

The agency said reopening of the affected facilities would also depend on full compliance with the recall directive, payment of applicable investigative charges and regulatory fees, successful destruction of recalled products and satisfactory inspection and certification by NAFDAC.

“Companies that fail to comply with the terms of the undertaking risk severe regulatory sanctions,” the agency said.

According to NAFDAC, the sanctions include continued closure of facilities, placement on its Regulatory Watchlist, suspension or revocation of product registrations and criminal prosecution where applicable.

Why NAFDAC is enforcing the ban

NAFDAC said the ban on alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets and small-volume containers followed years of consultations between regulators, manufacturers and government agencies.

The agency said it first raised concerns in 2018 over the widespread availability of high-alcohol-content drinks in sachets and small bottles, which it described as cheap, easy to conceal and readily accessible to minors.

A five-year moratorium was subsequently agreed with manufacturers in December 2018 to allow them to gradually phase out the products and move to larger packaging.

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The moratorium was initially scheduled to end on 31 January 2024 but was later extended until 31 December 2025.

The full ban took effect on 1 January 2026 and covers alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets, PET bottles below 200ml and glass bottles below 200ml.

NAFDAC said enforcement began with manufacturers in January, while nationwide mop-up operations across markets, motor parks, retail outlets, bars and distribution centres followed in July.

The agency said some banned products were still found at distribution centres, leading to the closure of factories and arrest of staff of companies found producing sachet alcohol.

NAFDAC said the enforcement is aimed at reducing underage drinking, alcohol abuse and access to highly concentrated alcoholic beverages in small, inexpensive containers.

“Members of the public are encouraged to report the sale, distribution, or manufacture of alcoholic beverages in sachets and PET bottles below 200ml through NAFDAC’s official communication channels or nearest NAFDAC office,” it added.

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has commenced Basic Life Support (BLS) training for health workers in seven public hospitals, as part of efforts to strengthen emergency response and reduce preventable deaths in the territory.

This was disclosed in a statement issued on Saturday.

The four-day American Heart Association (AHA)- certified training is being held at the Conference Hall of Asokoro District Hospital, Abuja, following the National Council on Health’s approval to implement the National BLS Training Programme nationwide.

Health workers from Asokoro, Maitama, Wuse, Gwarinpa, Kuje, Kubwa and Nyanya hospitals are participating in the training.

The programme is designed to equip health workers with the skills required to respond quickly to medical emergencies and provide basic life-saving care while patients await further medical intervention.

FCTA plans Code Blue, teams

The Mandate Secretary, Health Services and Environment Secretariat (HSES), Dolapo Fasawe, while declaring the training open, said the programme would strengthen emergency services in FCT hospitals and help reduce avoidable deaths.

Ms Fasawe said the FCTA was also working towards establishing Code Blue teams across hospitals in the territory to ensure that patients requiring urgent attention receive prompt care.

“Our goal is to record success stories from ‘no pulse to resuscitation consistently’. When people know that they can receive timely and proper emergency care in our hospitals, it will also build their confidence and trust in government hospitals to respond swiftly and manage their loved ones,” she said.

She said the training would also help health workers remain up to date with global practices in emergency care.

According to her, participants would be expected to share the knowledge they acquire with their colleagues and the public to support the National Community cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) Initiative.

Ms Fasawe added that the training would be extended to other hospitals in the FCT, with the necessary basic equipment and other requirements provided to strengthen emergency response and patient care.

Training to include bleeding control
The training coordinator, Rosemary Nwokorie, a consultant anaesthetist, said the exercise was being conducted in batches.

She said the first batch was scheduled for 21 and 22 August, while the second batch would be held on 4 and 5 September.

The training also includes a Stop the Bleeding course, which teaches participants how to control severe bleeding in trauma patients before definitive medical care is provided.

Onyedika Okoye, a trauma surgeon at the Trauma Centre, National Hospital, Abuja, leads the team of instructors.

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Participants will undergo an assessment at the end of the training, with certificates to be awarded to those who meet the required standard.

‘Timely intervention can mean the difference between life and death’

The Medical Director of Asokoro District Hospital, Oluseyi Ashaolu, described the training as necessary and timely, saying it would help health workers keep pace with developments in emergency care.

Mr Ashaolu said the knowledge and skills acquired would help curb avoidable deaths, particularly in situations where immediate and appropriate intervention could determine whether a patient survives.

The FCTA said the programme was part of its broader efforts to improve emergency care and ensure that health workers are adequately prepared to respond when patients require immediate attention.