The Nigerian Senate has directed the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and other relevant agencies to fully enforce the ban on the packaging and sale of high-strength alcoholic beverages in sachets, effective December 2025.
Lawmakers made this resolution during plenary on Wednesday after adopting a motion sponsored by Senator Asuquo Ekpeyong, who warned against granting further extensions beyond the existing moratorium.
Ekpeyong recalled that NAFDAC, following international standards and stakeholder consultations, had announced a phased ban on the importation, production, and distribution of alcohol in sachet packaging due to growing public health and social concerns.
He noted that in 2018, NAFDAC, the Federal Ministry of Health, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), and major industry groups 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). The agreement was aimed at gradually eliminating sachet-packaged alcoholic drinks due to their accessibility to underage persons, commercial drivers, and other vulnerable groups.
The Senate reminded that after the initial deadline expired, manufacturers were granted an additional one-year grace period in 2024 to allow them to clear existing stocks and switch to safer packaging alternatives, bringing the final phase-out date to December 2025.
However, Senator Ekpeyong expressed worry that some manufacturers were lobbying for yet another extension, saying such actions undermine regulatory authority, endanger public health, and distort competition in the beverage industry.
The Senate urged NAFDAC to remain firm on the ban and ensure full compliance by December 2025 to protect Nigerians from the health and social dangers associated with sachet-packaged alcohol.
