The Nigerian Senate has reaffirmed its commitment to ending the production and sale of alcoholic beverages in sachets and small plastic bottles by December 31, 2025, warning the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) against granting any further extensions.
The lawmakers issued the directive on Thursday following a motion of urgent national importance sponsored by Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong (Cross River South) during plenary.
Ekpenyong, while presenting the motion, explained that the enforcement timeline aligns with global standards aimed at curbing alcohol-related harm, particularly among young Nigerians. He recalled that in 2018, the Federal Ministry of Health, NAFDAC, Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), and industry stakeholders such as the Association of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Employers had jointly signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to phase out sachet and mini-bottle alcoholic drinks.
The initiative, he said, was designed to tackle the growing abuse of cheap, high-alcohol content beverages, especially among youths.
According to Ekpenyong, the Federal Government had already granted manufacturers a one-year grace period in 2024 to clear old stock and adopt safer packaging. However, he expressed concern that some producers were now lobbying for another extension.
“As the December 2025 deadline approaches, certain manufacturers are lobbying for another extension, thereby undermining the regulatory process and jeopardising public health,” the senator warned.
“We cannot continue to expose our youths to cheap, easily accessible alcohol that destroys lives and endangers public safety.”
He further highlighted that sachet alcoholic drinks have contributed to a rise in addiction, impaired cognitive development, school dropouts, domestic violence, and road accidents, particularly involving commercial drivers and teenagers. Ekpenyong also noted that compliant companies were being unfairly disadvantaged by those ignoring the ban.
During debate, several senators threw their weight behind the motion. Senator Anthony Ani (Ebonyi South) described the situation as a public health emergency, stressing that “the easy availability of cheap alcohol is fueling social vices. We must act now to save our young generation from self-destruction.”
In his remarks, Senate President Godswill Akpabio commended the motion and urged NAFDAC to enforce the ban without compromise.
“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.”
NAFDAC began enforcing the phase-out of sachet and small-bottle alcoholic drinks in January 2024, sealing non-compliant factories and seizing banned products.
The agency’s Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, has repeatedly defended the policy, insisting that such products are intentionally marketed toward young consumers due to their affordability and ease of concealment. Despite opposition from sections of the manufacturing sector, NAFDAC maintains that the ban is critical to reducing substance abuse, underage drinking, and addiction across Nigeria.
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