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 high-strength alcoholic drinks packaged in sachets, starting from December 2025.
Lawmakers also resolved that no further extension should be granted beyond the current deadline.
This decision followed a motion moved by Senator Asuquo Ekpeyong on the need to stop another extension of the phase-out of alcoholic beverages sold in sachets.
During plenary, Ekpeyong reminded the Senate that NAFDAC, after broad consultations with industry stakeholders and in line with international standards, had earlier announced a gradual ban on the importation, production, and distribution of alcohol packaged in sachets.
He explained that in 2018, several key stakeholders — including the Federal Ministry of Health, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), NAFDAC, and industry groups such as the Association of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Employers (AFBTE) and the Distillers and Blenders Association of Nigeria (DIBAN) — voluntarily signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
The agreement aimed to phase out such products gradually, citing public health concerns over their affordability and easy access, particularly among children, young people, commercial drivers, and other vulnerable groups.
Lawmakers recalled that despite the initial phase-out deadline, the Federal Government granted a one-year extension in 2024 to allow manufacturers to clear old stock and shift to approved packaging formats, extending the final deadline to December 2025.
However, Ekpeyong expressed worry that some producers are still lobbying for another extension — a move he said undermines regulatory authority, endangers public health, and disrupts fair market competition.
