The Nigerian Senate has directed NAFDAC to fully enforce the ban on high-strength alcoholic drinks sold in sachets starting December 2025, and says no more extensions will be given.

This decision aims to curb the rising abuse of cheap, easily accessible alcohol, especially among young people and commercial drivers.

NAFDAC and the Federal Ministry of Health have also been told to clear any obstacles and roll out a national alcohol policy to back the move.

The lawmakers further resolved that no additional extension should be granted beyond the current moratorium.

The resolution followed the adoption of a motion sponsored by Senator Asuquo Ekpeyong on the need to halt further extension of the phase out of Alcoholic Beverages packaged in satchet formats.

In his lead debate during plenary, Senator Ekpeyong reminded the Senate that NAFDAC, in line with international best practices and after extensive consultations with industry stakeholders had announced a phased ban on the importation, manufacture and distribution of alcohol packaged in sachets.

He noted that in 2018, 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), voluntarily signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

The MoU committed them to gradually phase out such products, citing rising health and social concerns over their affordability, portability and accessibility, particularly among children, adolescents, commercial drivers and other vulnerable groups.

The lawmaker recalled that despite the initial deadline, the Federal Government granted manufacturers an additional one-year moratorium in 2024 to enable them to exhaust existing stock and transition to compliant packaging alternatives, extending the phase-out until December 2025.

However, Senator Ekpeyong expressed concern that as the deadline approaches, some manufacturers continue to lobby for another extension, a move he said undermines regulatory authority, threatens public health and distorts fair competition in the industry.