By: Sunday Ameh
The Nigerian Senate has directed the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and other relevant regulatory agencies to fully enforce the ban on sachet-packaged alcoholic beverages starting from December 2025, warning that no further extensions will be tolerated.
This directive followed the adoption of a motion sponsored by Senator Asuquo Ekpeyong, who urged the upper chamber to halt any further delay in implementing the phase-out of high-strength alcoholic drinks packaged in sachets and small bottles.
In his lead debate on the motion, Senator Ekpeyong reminded his colleagues that NAFDAC, after extensive consultations with stakeholders and in line with international best practices, had already announced a phased ban on the production, importation, and distribution of such alcoholic beverages.
He recalled that as far back as 2018, key industry players — including the Federal Ministry of Health, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), NAFDAC, and industry associations like 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).
The agreement, he said, committed all parties to gradually phase out the production of sachet alcohol due to its public health risks, especially its affordability and accessibility to minors, commercial drivers, and other vulnerable groups.
Despite this commitment, Senator Ekpeyong expressed concern that the Federal Government had already granted a one-year extension in 2024, allowing manufacturers to exhaust their existing stocks and switch to safer packaging alternatives. The extension, he noted, pushed the deadline to December 2025.
However, the lawmaker lamented that certain manufacturers were still lobbying for another delay, warning that such actions threaten public health, undermine regulatory integrity, and distort fair competition in the beverage industry.
“Continued lobbying by manufacturers not only weakens regulatory authority but also fuels youth addiction, domestic violence, school dropouts, and road accidents caused by substance abuse,” Ekpeyong warned.
In a show of legislative firmness, the Senate directed the Federal Ministry of Health to eliminate any bureaucratic or policy barriers hindering NAFDAC’s enforcement of the ban.
The lawmakers also tasked the ministry with fast-tracking the release of the National Alcohol Policy, which is expected to clearly prohibit sachet packaging of high-strength alcoholic beverages and enhance nationwide sensitisation on the dangers of alcohol abuse.
Ekpeyong further emphasized that public health and safety must take precedence over commercial interests, noting that sachet-packaged alcohol remains dangerously cheap and easily accessible to underage drinkers and low-income earners.
He stressed that enforcing the ban will help reduce alcohol-related diseases, accidents, and crime, while promoting a healthier society.
NAFDAC’s Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, had previously stated that sachet alcohol contributes significantly to rising alcohol abuse in Nigeria, describing it as a major public health concern that demands immediate policy action.
With the new Senate resolution, regulatory agencies are now expected to ensure total compliance with the ban from December — marking what could be a turning point in Nigeria’s battle against the widespread misuse of cheap alcoholic products.
Leave a Reply