The Senate directed the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) on Thursday to not extend the deadline of December 31, 2025, regarding the production of alcohol in sachets.
The resolution followed a motion of urgent national importance moved by Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong (Cross River South) during Tuesday’s plenary.
Ekpenyong stated that the ban was in line with international best practices created to reduce alcohol-related harm among Nigerians.
According to him, in 2018, the Federal Ministry of Health, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), NAFDAC, and industry groups, including the Association of Food, Beverage, and Tobacco Employers, had jointly signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to slowly phase out sachet and mini-bottle alcoholic drinks to reduce the harm caused by cheap and high-strength alcohol among young people.
He further stated that in 2024 the Federal Government of Nigeria had granted producers a one-year moratorium to allow them to finish current stock and shift to compliant packaging, but he added that some manufacturers have commenced lobbying for another extension.
He said, “As the December 2025 deadline approaches, certain manufacturers are lobbying for another extension, thereby undermining the regulatory process and jeopardizing public health.
“We cannot continue to expose our youths to cheap, easily accessible alcohol that destroys lives and endangers public safety.”
Ekpenyong noted that the continuous sale of high-content sachet alcohol was “fueling addiction, impaired cognitive development, school dropouts, domestic violence, and a rise in road accidents,” especially among young people and commercial drivers.
The lawmaker also warned that companies that complied in good faith were at a competitive disadvantage compared to those still manufacturing the banned sachet.
Backing the motion, Senator Anthony Ani (Ebonyi South) said, “The easy availability of cheap alcohol is fueling social vices. We must act now to save our young generation from self-destruction.”
In his remarks, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, said, “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.”
He urged the NAFDAC to ensure the December 2025 ban remains in place, adding that any further extension would interfere with Nigeria’s anti-substance abuse efforts.
