By Deborah Nnamdi
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 packaging of high-strength alcoholic beverages in sachets starting from December 2025.
Lawmakers further resolved that no additional 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 extension of the phase-out of alcoholic beverages packaged in sachet formats.
Leading the debate, Senator Ekpeyong reminded his colleagues that NAFDAC, after wide consultations with stakeholders and in line with international best practices, had announced a phased ban on the importation, manufacture and distribution of alcohol in sachets.
He explained that in 2018, the Federal Ministry of Health, Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), NAFDAC, and industry groups including 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) to gradually phase out sachet-packaged alcohol.
According to him, the agreement was reached to address health and social concerns linked to the affordability and easy access of sachet alcohol, 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 grace period in 2024 to enable them to clear existing stock and switch to approved packaging alternatives, extending the transition period to December 2025.
He, however, expressed concern that as the deadline draws near, some manufacturers are lobbying for another extension — a move he described as detrimental to public health and the integrity of regulatory authorities.
The senator warned that the continued production and sale of high-strength sachet alcohol contribute to youth addiction, road accidents, school dropouts, domestic violence, and other social problems.
After deliberations, the Senate directed the Federal Ministry of Health to remove any impediments hindering NAFDAC’s enforcement duties and to expedite the release of the National Alcohol Policy.
The policy, the lawmakers said, should explicitly prohibit sachet packaging of high-strength alcoholic beverages and support nationwide sensitization campaigns on the dangers of such products.
