Nigerian Senate orders NAFDAC to enforce sachet alcohol ban from December 2025

NIGERIA – The Nigerian Senate has ordered the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and other regulatory agencies to strictly enforce the nationwide ban on the production and sale of high-strength alcoholic beverages in sachet packaging, effective December 2025.

Lawmakers made it clear that no further extensions would be granted, warning that manufacturers’ ongoing lobbying was undermining public health priorities and regulatory integrity.

The directive followed the adoption of a motion sponsored by Senator Asuquo Ekpeyong, who urged the Senate to halt any additional delays to the phased ban originally announced by NAFDAC.

During plenary, Ekpeyong reminded his colleagues that the ban, introduced after years of stakeholder consultation, aligns with international public health standards.

He recalled that in 2018, the Federal Ministry of Health, NAFDAC, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), and industry groups such as the Association of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Employers (AFBTE) and the Distillers and Blenders Association of Nigeria (DIBAN) signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to phase out sachet-packaged alcoholic drinks gradually.

The decision was based on growing evidence linking the format’s low cost and portability to increased consumption among children, youth, commercial drivers, and other vulnerable populations.

Despite that agreement, the Federal Government granted a one-year moratorium in 2024, extending the final phase-out deadline to December 2025 to allow manufacturers time to deplete existing stock and transition to compliant packaging formats.

Senator Ekpeyong expressed concern that some producers are still lobbying for another extension, describing such efforts as a threat to public health and fair industry competition.

He warned that the continued sale of sachet alcohol contributes to youth addiction, road accidents, school dropouts, domestic violence, and other social vices.

In its resolution, the Senate directed the Federal Ministry of Health to support NAFDAC by removing any regulatory obstacles that could hinder enforcement.

Lawmakers also urged the ministry to fast-track the release of the long-awaited National Alcohol Policy, which is expected to formalize the prohibition of sachet packaging for high-strength beverages and intensify public awareness campaigns on responsible consumption.

The push to eliminate sachet alcohol began in 2020, when the Nigerian government first announced plans to reduce production by 50 percent.

NAFDAC’s Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, previously stated that sachet packaging had “contributed significantly to alcohol abuse” and posed “a clear and growing public health challenge.”

The Senate’s latest resolution signals a firm national stance to protect public health and promote responsible packaging practices in Nigeria’s alcoholic beverage industry.

Subscribe to our email newsletters that provide busy executives like you with the latest news insights and trends from Africa and the World. SUBSCRIBE HERE