The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has sealed three manufacturing facilities in Ogun State as enforcement of the federal restriction on alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets and containers below 200ml continues.
The operation covered facilities in the Sango-Ota and Idi-Iroko areas. According to officials involved in the exercise, the affected premises included Intercontinental Distilleries Limited, Shashi Distillery Limited and another facility allegedly connected with Nigeria Distillery Limited.
Kunle Ojo, an Assistant Director in NAFDAC’s Investigation and Enforcement Directorate, said the closures formed part of a renewed nationwide compliance drive. He stated that regulatory officers acted after inspections and intelligence indicated that prohibited packaging materials and production equipment were still being used.
Officials reportedly found containers intended for drinks below the prescribed volume threshold, sachet-packaging materials and production machinery at the inspected premises. NAFDAC also alleged that some materials previously identified at one of the facilities could no longer be accounted for after the premises had been sealed.
The agency said it had earlier inspected two of the factories in January and stopped machines associated with sachet production. Follow-up visits on 24 July allegedly revealed renewed use or retention of packaging materials covered by the restriction, prompting the full closure of the premises.
NAFDAC’s policy applies to spirit drinks sold in sachets and small PET or glass containers below 200ml. The regulator has described the measure as a public-health intervention intended to reduce easy access to high-alcohol products, particularly among children and young people.
The agency’s official record shows that the packaging restriction followed a multi-year phase-out arrangement involving the Federal Ministry of Health, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission and industry associations. NAFDAC has maintained that manufacturers and distributors were given time to adjust their production and distribution systems before full enforcement.
Ojo said inspections would continue across production and distribution channels. Members of the public were encouraged to report suspected manufacturing or sale of prohibited products to the nearest NAFDAC office.
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