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.
Sachet Alcohol; Senate Sets December Ban Deadline
