Senate Directs NAFDAC to Enforce Sachet Alcohol Ban by December 31, 2025

The Senate has directed the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to strictly enforce the December 31, 2025 deadline for the prohibition of alcohol packaged in sachets and to avoid any further extension.

The resolution followed a motion of urgent national importance sponsored by Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong (Cross River South) during Tuesday’s plenary session.

Presenting the motion, Senator Ekpenyong stated that the move aligns with global regulatory standards and international best practices aimed at minimizing alcohol-related harm in Nigeria.

He recalled that in 2018, the Federal Ministry of Health, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), NAFDAC, and industry groups, including the Association of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Employers (AFBTE), had voluntarily signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to gradually phase out sachet and small-bottle alcoholic drinks.

Ekpenyong explained that the Federal Government, following appeals from manufacturers, granted a one-year moratorium in 2024 to allow producers to clear existing stock and transition to compliant packaging alternatives.

However, the lawmaker raised concern that some manufacturers were lobbying for another extension, warning that such a move would weaken regulatory authority, endanger public health, and prolong the circulation of harmful alcoholic products.

“As the December 2025 deadline approaches, certain manufacturers are lobbying for another extension, thereby undermining the regulatory process and jeopardizing public health,” he said. “We cannot continue to expose our youths to cheap, easily accessible alcohol that destroys lives and endangers public safety.”

He cautioned that the continued sale of high-strength alcoholic beverages in sachet form has contributed to addiction, impaired cognitive development, school dropouts, domestic violence, and rising road accidents—especially among commercial drivers and young people.

Ekpenyong also observed that manufacturers who had complied in good faith were now being disadvantaged by competitors still producing non-compliant products, creating an uneven market.

Following extensive deliberations, senators commended Ekpenyong for bringing the issue to the floor, emphasizing the need for firm enforcement and increased public awareness.

Senator Anthony Ani (Ebonyi South) supported the motion, describing the easy access to cheap alcohol as a growing social menace.

“The easy availability of cheap alcohol is fueling social vices. We must act now to save our young generation from self-destruction,” Ani said.

In his ruling, Senate President Godswill Akpabio described the resolution as a timely intervention to protect public health and safeguard the nation’s youth. He urged NAFDAC to ensure strict compliance with the December 2025 deadline, warning that any further delay would undermine Nigeria’s fight against substance abuse.

“This is a matter of urgency,” Akpabio stated. “The agency must act decisively to protect Nigerians, especially our young people, from the dangers of unregulated alcohol consumption.”