The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has sealed three manufacturing plants in Ogun State for producing alcoholic beverages in prohibited sachets and small-volume PET bottles, defying a federal government ban.
The enforcement operation, conducted in the Sango-Ota and Idi-Iroko industrial corridors, targeted Intercontinental Distilleries Ltd., Shashi Distillery Ltd., and an unregistered facility linked to Nigeria Distillery Ltd.
Speaking with journalists on Monday, NAFDAC Assistant Director of Investigation and Enforcement, Mr Kunle Ojo, confirmed that the crackdown formed the second phase of the agency’s nationwide campaign against banned alcoholic packaging.
Officials initially inspected Nigeria Distillery Ltd. along Idi-Iroko Road without finding evidence of infractions. However, intelligence received on July 24 led operatives to another factory allegedly operated by the same company, where prohibited packaging materials—including sachet nylon and containers designed for sub-200ml alcoholic drinks—were discovered.
“We found countless 100ml alcoholic bottles, packaging materials for sachets, and sachet alcohol actively being produced on the machines,” Ojo stated. “We also observed that some items documented during Friday’s inspection are now missing from the sealed factory. This constitutes a serious violation and will be addressed administratively.”
The agency had previously visited Intercontinental Distilleries and Shashi Distillery in January, halting 22 production machines and removing banned packaging materials. A follow-up inspection on July 24 revealed that the same equipment had resumed producing prohibited items.
“When we returned last week, we discovered old packaging materials and the machines we had placed on hold were actively manufacturing banned products again,” Ojo added. “This is precisely why we proceeded with a full factory closure—they are covertly producing what NAFDAC explicitly prohibited.”
The enforcement action aligns with the federal government’s ban on sachet alcohol and alcoholic beverages in PET bottles under 200ml, which NAFDAC began implementing in January.
Ojo reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to sustaining the enforcement campaign to eliminate prohibited alcoholic products from circulation and safeguard public health. He urged citizens to report suspected production or distribution of banned beverages to the nearest NAFDAC office.
