SENATE ORDERS NAFDAC TO ENFORCE BAN ON SACHET ALCOHOL FROM DECEMBER 2025
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By Aishat Momoh. O.
The Senate has directed the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and other relevant regulatory agencies to strictly enforce the ban on high-strength alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets starting from December 2025, insisting that no further extension of the phase-out deadline will be allowed.
This resolution followed the adoption of a motion sponsored by Senator Asuquo Ekpeyong, titled “The Need to Halt Further Extension of the Phase-Out of Alcoholic Beverages Packaged in Sachet Formats.”
In his lead debate, Senator Ekpeyong reminded his colleagues that NAFDAC, in line with international best practices, had announced a phased ban on the importation, manufacture, and distribution of alcohol in sachet packaging after extensive consultations with key industry stakeholders.
He explained that in 2018, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between 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).
The MoU committed all parties to gradually phase out sachet-packaged alcohol due to its negative health and social impacts, particularly among youths, drivers, and other vulnerable groups.
Ekpeyong noted that despite the initial deadline, the Federal Government granted a one-year extension in 2024 to allow manufacturers to deplete existing stock and adopt compliant packaging, shifting the final phase-out date to December 2025.
However, he expressed concern that some manufacturers are lobbying for another extension, describing such moves as undermining regulatory authority and posing risks to public health.
“The continued production of high-strength alcoholic beverages in sachet formats fuels youth addiction, road accidents, school dropouts, domestic violence, and other social vices,” he warned.
Following deliberations, the Senate resolved to mandate the Federal Ministry of Health to remove any barriers preventing NAFDAC from fully enforcing the ban.
Lawmakers also urged the ministry to fast-track the release of the National Alcohol Policy, which would formally prohibit sachet packaging of high-strength alcoholic beverages and enhance nationwide public sensitization on the dangers of irresponsible alcohol consumption.
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