The Senate has directed NAFDAC to enforce a ban on production and sale of sachet alcohol beginning from December 2025
The Senate has directed the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and other relevant regulatory bodies to fully enforce the ban on the production and sale of high-strength alcoholic beverages in sachet packaging, effective December 2025.
The upper chamber also resolved that no further extension should be granted beyond the current moratorium.
This resolution followed the adoption of a motion sponsored by Senator Asuquo Ekpeyong on the “Need to Halt Further Extension of the Phase-Out of Alcoholic Beverages Packaged in Sachet Formats.”
Leading the debate at plenary, Sen. Ekpeyong reminded the Senate that NAFDAC, in line with global standards and after wide consultations with industry stakeholders, had announced a phased ban on the importation, manufacture, and distribution of alcohol packaged in sachets.
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He explained that in 2018, stakeholders — including the Federal Ministry of Health, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), NAFDAC, and industry associations such as 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) committing to gradually phase out such products.
The agreement, he noted, was driven by growing health and social concerns over the affordability, portability, and accessibility of sachet-packaged alcohol, especially among children, adolescents, commercial drivers, and other vulnerable groups.
The Senate further recalled that despite the initial deadline, the Federal Government granted manufacturers a one-year grace period in 2024 to allow them exhaust existing stock and transition to safer packaging alternatives, extending the phase-out to December 2025.
However, Ekpeyong expressed worry that some manufacturers are still lobbying for another extension, a move he said undermines regulatory authority, threatens public health, and distorts fair competition in the industry.
The Senate consequently urged NAFDAC and other relevant agencies to ensure full compliance with the policy and to intensify public awareness campaigns on the dangers of excessive alcohol consumption.
