The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the Ogun State Police Command have intensified enforcement of regulations governing alcoholic beverages, with particular attention to products packaged in sachets and containers below 200ml.
The latest development followed a meeting between the NAFDAC State Coordinator for Ogun Office 1, Akinwale Fagoroye, and the state Commissioner of Police, Bode Ojajuni, at the police command headquarters in Eleweran, Abeokuta.
Fagoroye disclosed that enforcement had already commenced in Abeokuta and would be extended to other parts of the state until full compliance with the applicable regulations is achieved.
A major target of the exercise is alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets and PET bottles containing less than 200ml, including the small-volume products that have become widely available in retail outlets and other commercial locations.
According to NAFDAC, the restriction is intended to reduce easy access to cheap and portable alcoholic beverages, particularly among children and young people.
The agency said its enforcement teams are inspecting markets, motor parks, bars, retail shops, warehouses, factories and other locations where regulated alcoholic products are manufactured, stored or distributed.
NAFDAC is also expected to take action against counterfeit, unregistered, adulterated, substandard, expired or improperly labelled products, as well as facilities operating without the required regulatory approvals.
Fagoroye appealed to manufacturers, importers, distributors, wholesalers, retailers and consumers to comply with the regulatory requirements and allow authorised officials to carry out their duties without obstruction.
The Ogun Police Command has pledged to support NAFDAC in the enforcement exercise.
Ojajuni said the police and NAFDAC would continue to collaborate within their respective statutory mandates to ensure compliance with the law and protect residents from products and activities capable of endangering public health and safety.
The police commissioner also said the command was enforcing the Liquor Act and other applicable laws regulating the sale and distribution of alcoholic beverages within the state.
He urged businesses and members of the public to comply with the regulations and cooperate with authorised enforcement personnel, while encouraging residents to provide information on suspected counterfeit or unsafe alcoholic products and other illegal activities.
The Ogun operation forms part of the wider nationwide enforcement of the Federal Government’s restriction on alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets and PET or glass containers below 200ml. NAFDAC has previously sealed factories in Ogun for allegedly continuing to manufacture such products despite the ban.
The agency has maintained that the policy is primarily driven by public-health concerns, including the accessibility of small-volume alcoholic products to underage persons and their alleged misuse by motorists and other vulnerable groups.
With the latest collaboration between NAFDAC and the police, enforcement activities are expected to continue across Ogun State as authorities seek to remove prohibited alcoholic products from circulation and compel operators within the sector to comply with the regulatory framework.
You must be logged in to post a comment.