The Senate has ordered the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and other relevant regulatory bodies to begin strict enforcement of the ban on high-strength alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets from December 2025.
Lawmakers also resolved that no further extension of the current moratorium should be granted to manufacturers.
The decision followed a motion sponsored by Senator Asuquo Ekpeyong, who called for an end to repeated extensions of the sachet alcohol phase-out.
In his presentation, Senator Ekpeyong recalled that NAFDAC, in line with international standards and after consultations with stakeholders, had announced a phased ban on the importation, production, and distribution of alcohol in sachets.
He explained that in 2018, the Federal Ministry of Health, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), NAFDAC, and industry associations including the Association of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Employers (AFBTE) and the Distillers and Blenders Association of Nigeria (DIBAN) signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The agreement aimed to gradually eliminate the sachet packaging of alcoholic drinks due to concerns about its accessibility and impact on children, adolescents, commercial drivers, and other vulnerable groups.
The initial deadline was later extended by one year until December 2025 to allow manufacturers to deplete existing stock and transition to safer packaging alternatives.
However, Senator Ekpeyong expressed worry that as the new deadline approaches, some producers are lobbying for another extension, a move he said undermines NAFDAC’s authority, endangers public health, and disrupts fair industry competition.
He cautioned that continued sales of high-strength alcohol in sachets contribute to youth addiction, road accidents, domestic violence, and other social problems.
Following deliberations, the Senate also directed the Federal Ministry of Health to remove any bottlenecks hindering NAFDAC’s enforcement of the ban and to expedite the release of the National Alcohol Policy.
The policy, lawmakers said, should explicitly prohibit the production and sale of high-strength alcoholic beverages in sachet packaging and promote nationwide public awareness on the dangers of such products.
