Enforce ban on sachet alcohol from December 2025 – Senate orders NAFDAC

Senate Mandates Enforcement of Sachet Alcohol Ban by December 2025

In a decisive move aimed at curbing the proliferation of high-strength alcoholic beverages in Nigeria, the Senate has directed the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and other relevant regulatory bodies to strictly enforce the ban on sachet-packaged alcohol starting December 2025.

This directive comes with a firm stance that no further extensions will be granted beyond the current moratorium.

The Senate’s resolution followed the adoption of a motion sponsored by Senator Asuquo Ekpeyong, who emphasized the urgency of halting any additional delays in phasing out alcohol sold in sachets.

During plenary, Ekpeyong reminded lawmakers that NAFDAC had previously announced a phased ban on the importation, manufacture, and distribution of alcohol in sachet formats. This decision was rooted in international best practices and emerged from extensive consultations with stakeholders across the health and beverage industries.

Back in 2018, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was voluntarily signed by 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 & Tobacco Employers (AFBTE) and the Distillers and Blenders Association of Nigeria (DIBAN).

The MoU committed all parties to a five-year plan to gradually phase out sachet alcohol, citing growing health and social concerns. These concerns centered on the affordability, portability, and accessibility of sachet-packaged alcohol, particularly among vulnerable groups such as children, adolescents, commercial drivers, and low-income communities.

Despite the initial deadline, the Federal Government granted manufacturers an additional one-year moratorium in 2024 to allow for the exhaustion of existing stock and a smooth transition to compliant packaging alternatives.

 This extension pushed the final phase-out deadline to December 2025. However, Senator Ekpeyong expressed alarm that some manufacturers are lobbying for yet another extension. He warned that such efforts undermine regulatory authority, pose risks to public health, and distort fair competition within the industry.

The Senate’s directive signals a firm commitment to public health and regulatory integrity. It underscores the importance of protecting vulnerable populations from the dangers of easily accessible high-strength alcohol and reinforces the role of government agencies in upholding standards that align with global health practices.

With the December 2025 deadline now seemingly set in stone, manufacturers are expected to comply fully, and regulatory bodies are tasked with ensuring that enforcement is both rigorous and uncompromising.