Senate Orders NAFDAC To Enforce Sachet Alcohol Ban From December 2025

The Senate has ordered the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to fully enforce the ban on the production and sale of high-strength alcoholic drinks packaged in sachets starting from December 2025.

Lawmakers also agreed on Thursday that there would be no further extensions to the current deadline.

This decision followed a motion sponsored by Senator Asuquo Ekpeyong, who called for an end to the continuous delay in implementing the phase-out of sachet-packaged alcoholic beverages.

During the debate, Senator Ekpeyong reminded the chamber that NAFDAC had, after wide consultations and in line with global standards, introduced a gradual ban on the importation, production, and distribution of alcohol sold in sachets.

He explained that in 2018, key 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 agreement to phase out these products.

The agreement was made in response to growing health and social concerns, as sachet alcohol is cheap, easily accessible, and commonly consumed by children, teenagers, commercial drivers, and other vulnerable groups.

Ekpeyong noted that even after the initial five-year deadline expired, the Federal Government granted manufacturers a one-year grace period in 2024 to clear old stock and adopt safer packaging alternatives, extending the final phase-out to December 2025.

However, he expressed concern that some manufacturers are now pushing for another extension, warning that such moves weaken regulatory enforcement, endanger public health, and create unfair competition in the market.

He further stressed that continued production of sachet alcohol contributes to rising cases of youth addiction, road accidents, school dropouts, domestic abuse, and other social problems.

After deliberations, the Senate directed the Federal Ministry of Health to remove any obstacles preventing NAFDAC from implementing the ban.

It also urged the ministry to fast-track the release of the National Alcohol Policy, which should permanently outlaw sachet packaging of high-strength alcoholic beverages and strengthen public awareness campaigns against their consumption.

KanyiDaily recalls that the NAFDAC recently shut down two Chinese supermarkets and eight cosmetics shops in Abuja for allegedly breaching Nigeria’s food and drug safety rules.