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 the packaging of high-strength alcoholic beverages in sachet formats beginning December 2025.
Lawmakers also resolved that no further 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 further delays in phasing out sachet-packaged alcoholic beverages.
In his lead debate, Senator Ekpeyong reminded the Senate that NAFDAC, in line with international best practices and after extensive consultations with stakeholders, had announced a phased ban on the importation, manufacture, and distribution of alcohol packaged in sachets.
He explained that in 2018, key stakeholders—including the Federal Ministry of Health, Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), NAFDAC, and industry groups such as the Association of Food, Beverage & Tobacco Employers (AFBTE) and the Distillers and Blenders Association of Nigeria (DIBAN)—voluntarily signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
The MoU committed the parties to gradually phase out sachet alcohol products, citing growing health and social concerns over their affordability and accessibility, especially among children, adolescents, commercial drivers, and other vulnerable groups.
Ekpeyong recalled that despite the initial deadline, the Federal Government granted manufacturers an additional one-year moratorium in 2024 to enable them to exhaust existing stock and transition to compliant packaging alternatives, extending the phase-out until December 2025.
However, he expressed concern that some manufacturers were lobbying for another extension, a move he said undermines regulatory authority, threatens public health, and distorts fair competition in the industry.
He warned that continued production of sachet alcoholic beverages fuels youth addiction, road accidents, school dropouts, domestic violence, and other social vices.
After deliberations, the Senate directed the Federal Ministry of Health to remove all obstacles preventing NAFDAC from executing its enforcement responsibilities.
Lawmakers also urged the Ministry to expedite the release of the National Alcohol Policy, clearly prohibiting sachet packaging of high-strength alcoholic beverages and supporting coordinated public sensitization efforts.
