Ban On Sachet Gin: Grace Period Ends, Enforcement Begins Tuesday — Committee
BENIN — The Edo State Consumer Protection Committee has announced that the grace period granted to traders and consumers on the ban on sachet alcoholic drinks has expired.
The Committee said the extension granted on the ban on sachet gin expired on Saturday, 20th September, 2026 paving the way for full enforcement across the state.
Consequently, the Committee said full enforcement will commence on Tuesday, 22nd September, 2026 in all markets and communities across Edo State.
In a statement titled BAN ON SACHET GIN: GRACE PERIOD ELAPSES, ENFORCEMENT BEGINS ON TUESDAY, 22ND SEPTEMBER, 2026 and signed by its Chairman, Mr. Iyamu Osaro Culture the Committee warned that anyone caught selling, hawking, or hoarding sachet gin and Agbo will be made to pay a prescribed fine into the Edo State Government Single Account.
It added that the products found in the possession of defaulters will be seized and confiscated by the enforcement team.
According to the statement, “This announcement is to prepare the minds of the public ahead of our operation,” urging traders and consumers to comply in their own interest.
The ban on alcoholic beverages in sachets and small PET bottles below 200ml was first introduced by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) in 2018, with a five-year phase-out period granted to manufacturers to wind down production.
NAFDAC said the policy became necessary due to the rising cases of drug abuse, especially among underage children and commercial drivers who easily hide and consume sachet gin and alcoholic bitters.
The agency had argued that sachet alcohol, sold for as low as N50 to N100, was easily accessible to children, contributed to road accidents, and posed serious public health risks.
Following the expiration of the initial deadline in January 2024, NAFDAC commenced enforcement nationwide, sealing factories and seizing products, a move that was resisted by manufacturers under the Distillers and Blenders Association of Nigeria, who requested an extension.
Several states, including Edo, thereafter set up state-level task forces and consumer protection committees to domesticate the enforcement and granted traders a grace period to sell off old stocks.
The Edo State Consumer Protection Committee now says that grace has elapsed and its enforcement teams will move into markets in Benin, Auchi, Ekpoma and other major towns from Tuesday.
