The Nigerian Senate has directed the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) not to extend the 31 December 2025 deadline for the production of alcohol in sachets.
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, Ekpenyong said the decision aligns with global regulatory standards and international best practices aimed at reducing alcohol-related harm among Nigerians.
He recalled that in 2018, the Federal Ministry of Health, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), NAFDAC, and industry stakeholders, including the Association of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Employers (AFBTE), jointly signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to gradually phase out sachet and small-bottle alcoholic drinks.
According to him, the Federal Government had already granted a one-year moratorium in 2024, allowing manufacturers time to exhaust existing stock and adopt compliant packaging alternatives.
However, the lawmaker expressed concern that some manufacturers were lobbying for another extension, warning that such actions would undermine regulatory authority, endanger public health, and perpetuate 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,” Ekpenyong said.
“We cannot continue to expose our youths to cheap, easily accessible alcohol that destroys lives and endangers public safety.”
He further noted that the continued availability of high-strength alcoholic beverages in sachet form has contributed to addiction, impaired cognitive development, school dropouts, domestic violence, and increased road accidents, particularly among commercial drivers and young people.
Ekpenyong added that manufacturers who had complied with the earlier directive were now at a disadvantage compared to those still producing non-compliant products, creating an uneven market.
During deliberations, several senators commended Ekpenyong for raising the issue and emphasized the need for stricter enforcement and nationwide sensitization.
Senator Anthony Ani (Ebonyi South) described the easy accessibility of 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,” he said.
In his ruling, Senate President Godswill Akpabio hailed the resolution as a timely step toward safeguarding public health and youth welfare.
He urged NAFDAC to ensure full enforcement of the ban by December 2025, warning that any further extension would undermine the country’s anti-substance abuse efforts.
“This is a matter of urgency.
“The agency must act decisively to protect Nigerians, especially our young people, from the dangers of unregulated alcohol consumption,” Akpabio said.
(Agency Report)
