The Senate has directed the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and other relevant regulatory bodies to strictly enforce the ban on high-strength alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets, effective December 2025.
Lawmakers further resolved that no additional extension should be granted beyond the current moratorium.
The resolution followed the adoption of a motion sponsored by Senator Asuquo Ekpeyong on the need to halt any further extension of the phase-out period for sachet-packaged alcoholic beverages.
In his lead debate, Senator Ekpeyong reminded the chamber that NAFDAC, in line with international best practices and after extensive consultations with industry stakeholders, had announced a phased ban on the importation, manufacture, and distribution of alcohol in sachet packaging.
He recalled that in 2018, key stakeholders — including the Federal Ministry of Health, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), NAFDAC, and industry groups such as the Association of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Employers (AFBTE) and the Distillers and Blenders Association of Nigeria (DIBAN) — voluntarily signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to gradually phase out such products.
The MoU cited growing health and social concerns over the affordability, portability, and accessibility of sachet alcohol, especially among children, adolescents, commercial drivers, and other vulnerable groups.
Despite the initial deadline, the Federal Government granted manufacturers an additional one-year moratorium in 2024 to enable them to deplete existing stock and transition to safer packaging alternatives, thereby extending the phase-out to December 2025.
However, Senator Ekpeyong expressed concern that some manufacturers are lobbying for yet another extension — a move he said undermines regulatory authority, threatens public health, and distorts fair competition in the industry.
He warned that the continued production of high-strength alcoholic beverages in sachets contributes to youth addiction, road accidents, school dropouts, domestic violence, and other social vices.
Following deliberations, the Senate also directed the Federal Ministry of Health to eliminate any obstacles hindering NAFDAC’s enforcement duties.
Additionally, lawmakers urged the ministry to expedite the release of the National Alcohol Policy, which should explicitly prohibit sachet packaging of high-strength alcoholic beverages and promote coordinated nationwide sensitization campaigns.
