The Senate has directed the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and other relevant regulatory agencies to begin full enforcement of the ban on the production and packaging of high-strength alcoholic beverages in sachet formats from December 2025.
The lawmakers also resolved that no additional extension should be granted beyond the current moratorium, ending speculations of another grace period for manufacturers.
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.”
Some context
Presenting the motion, Senator Ekpeyong explained that NAFDAC had, in line with international best practices and after extensive consultations with industry stakeholders, announced a phased ban on the importation, manufacture, and distribution of alcohol packaged in sachets.
He said in 2018, stakeholders, including the Federal Ministry of Health, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), NAFDAC, and industry associations such as the Association of Food, Beverage & Tobacco Employers (AFBTE) and the Distillers and Blenders Association of Nigeria (DIBAN), signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
According to him, the MoU committed all parties to gradually phase out sachet alcohol products, citing rising health and social concerns over their affordability, portability, and accessibility particularly among children, adolescents, commercial drivers, and other vulnerable groups.
Concerns over public health risks
The lawmaker noted that despite the initial timeline, the Federal Government in 2024 granted manufacturers an additional one-year moratorium to enable them to exhaust existing stock and switch to compliant packaging alternatives. The extension pushed the phase-out deadline to December 2025.
However, Senator Ekpeyong raised alarm that as the new deadline approaches, some manufacturers have resumed lobbying for another extension, an act he said undermines regulatory authority, threatens public health, and disrupts fair competition in the industry.
He warned that the continued production of high-strength alcoholic beverages in sachet formats contributes to youth addiction, road accidents, school dropouts, domestic violence, and other social vices.
Senate’s directive to regulatory agencies
After deliberations, the Senate mandated the Federal Ministry of Health to remove all impediments preventing NAFDAC from carrying out enforcement actions against non-compliant manufacturers.
It also directed the ministry to expedite the release of the National Alcohol Policy to explicitly prohibit sachet packaging of high-strength alcoholic beverages and to promote public sensitization on the risks of irresponsible alcohol consumption.
With the Senate’s latest resolution, all manufacturers are expected to fully comply with the ban by December 2025, ending years of policy delays and industry pushback.
