NAFDAC Storm Abuja Market Seizes Prohibited Alcoholic Products
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) stormed a market in Abuja and seized several prohibited alcoholic products
The operation was carried out by the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Directorate of the agency at Wuse Market on Thursday in Abuja.
Mr. Kenneth Azikiwe, Director of the FCT NAFDAC Directorate, stated that the manufacturing and distribution of alcoholic beverages in sachets and PET bottles remain prohibited under a ministerial ban.
“Several sachets and small PET bottles of alcohol, including 30ml and 100ml packs, were discovered and seized during the raid,” Azikiwe said.
He urged distributors and retailers to cease the sale and distribution of the banned products and advised them to surrender other prohibited products to the agency.
Azikiwe highlighted the 2018 agreement between NAFDAC, the Distillers and Blenders Association of Nigeria, the Association of Food, Tobacco, Beverage Employers, and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Council, which introduced a phased withdrawal of such products.
“Since 2018, NAFDAC has stopped registering or renewing licenses for these products. Manufacturers were given adequate time to deplete existing stock and halt production. Any violation of this ban will now attract severe penalties,” he warned.
The director emphasized that selling banned products would be treated as dealing in unregistered items, with offenders facing the full weight of the law.
Despite extensive public awareness campaigns and stakeholder engagements, Azikiwe expressed disappointment over continued reports of clandestine manufacturing and distribution of the prohibited sachet alcohol. He assured that NAFDAC’s investigative teams would intensify efforts to trace and halt such activities.
He reiterated NAFDAC’s commitment to safeguarding public health through strict enforcement of regulatory measures. “The onus is on manufacturers, distributors, and retailers to comply fully with this directive,” he added.
