Senate Orders NAFDAC: End Sachet Alcohol Production by December 31

The Nigerian Senate has directed the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) not to extend the December 31, 2025 deadline for the production of alcoholic drinks in sachets.

The resolution followed a motion of urgent national importance sponsored by Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong (Cross River South) during Tuesday’s plenary session.
Presenting the motion, Ekpenyong said the directive aligns with global regulatory standards and international best practices aimed at curbing alcohol-related harm in Nigeria.

He recalled 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), voluntarily signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to phase out sachet alcoholic beverages.

According to him, the Federal Government had already granted manufacturers a one-year moratorium in 2024 to enable them to exhaust existing stocks and transition to compliant packaging alternatives.

However, Ekpenyong expressed concern that some producers were lobbying for another extension, a move he warned would undermine regulatory authority, endanger public health, and perpetuate the circulation of harmful alcoholic products.

“As the December 2025 deadline approaches, certain manufacturers are lobbying for another extension, thereby undermining the regulatory process and jeopardizing public health,” he said.

“We cannot continue to expose our youths to cheap, easily accessible alcohol that destroys lives and endangers public safety.”

The lawmaker noted that the continued sale of high-strength alcoholic beverages in sachets has been linked to addiction, impaired cognitive development, school dropouts, domestic violence, and road accidents, particularly among commercial drivers and young people.

He also observed that manufacturers who had complied in good faith were now at a competitive disadvantage to those who refused to comply, creating an uneven market.

During deliberation, senators commended Ekpenyong for raising the issue and emphasized the need for stricter enforcement and sustained public sensitization.
Supporting the motion, Senator Anthony Ani (Ebonyi South) described the easy availability of cheap alcohol as a growing social menace.

“The easy availability of cheap alcohol is fueling social vices. We must act now to save our young generation from self-destruction,” he said.

Prof Adeyeye — NAFDAC Boss, Prof Moji Adeyeye

In his ruling, Senate President Godswill Akpabio described the resolution as a timely intervention to protect public health and youth welfare.

He urged NAFDAC to ensure full enforcement of the ban by December 2025, warning that any further extension would weaken Nigeria’s anti-substance abuse campaign.

“This is a matter of urgency,” Akpabio said. “The agency must act decisively to protect Nigerians, especially our young people, from the dangers of unregulated alcohol consumption.”