Barely 24-hours after announcing a ban on pocket-friendly alcohol drinks, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has shutdown three alcoholic beverage factories in Jos, the Plateau State capital.
Speaking with journalists during the raid on Tuesday, Umar Suleiman, assistant chief regulatory officer at NAFDAC, said two of the factories, Bemag Industries Nigeria Ltd and Good Life Global Beverages Ltd., were sealed for none adherence to best manufacturing practices.
He said the third factory, Stevenson Multi Global Ltd, was shutdown for producing banned alcoholic beverages in sachets worth N6 million, non-adherence to good manufacturing practices, and producing without NAFDAC registration.
Suleiman noted that the raid was conducted nationwide following the January 31, 2024 deadline given by the agency in 2018 to producers of alcoholic beverages, to desist from producing alcohol in 100ml, 20ml, 30 ml, and in sachets.
He said the move became imperative to help reduce the menace of alcohol abuse in the country, especially among the youth.
In a similar vein, NAFDAC has sealed a bakery in Sokoto for repackaging other products and operating in an unsanitary environment.
Garba Adamu, the state’s NAFDAC coordinator, said the unregistered bakery was shut with assistance from security operatives.
Adamu said the owner of the bakery had been arrested and sanctioned accordingly, adding that the materials used were also confiscated.
He explained that the owner had also been educated and guided on how to register his products in line with stipulated guidelines.
