Senate orders NAFDAC to enforce alcohol ban by December 2025, rejecting calls for deadline extension on sachet and small-bottle production
The Nigerian senate has ordered the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to strictly enforce the December 31, 2025 deadline for ending the production of alcohol in sachets, rejecting appeals for an extension by some manufacturers.
The resolution followed a motion of urgent national importance moved by Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong (Cross River South) during Tuesday’s plenary session.
The motion underscored Nigeria’s commitment to global health standards and international best practices aimed at reducing alcohol-related harm.
Ekpenyong recalled that in 2018, the Federal Ministry of Health, Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), NAFDAC, and key industry groups including the Association of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Employers (AFBTE) voluntarily signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding to phase out sachet and small-bottle alcoholic beverages.
He noted that the Federal Government had already granted a one-year moratorium in 2024 to allow manufacturers to exhaust their existing stock and switch to compliant packaging.
However, Ekpenyong expressed concern that some producers were lobbying for another extension, warning that such actions would weaken regulatory authority and endanger public health.
“As the December 2025 deadline approaches, certain manufacturers are lobbying for another extension, thereby undermining the regulatory process and jeopardising public health,” he said.
“We cannot continue to expose our youths to cheap, easily accessible alcohol that destroys lives and endangers public safety.”
He further warned that the continued sale of high-strength alcohol in sachets has contributed to addiction, impaired cognitive development, school dropouts, domestic violence, and an increase in road accidents; especially among young people and commercial drivers.
Ekpenyong also highlighted that compliant manufacturers were now at a disadvantage, facing unfair competition from producers still violating the agreement.
Several lawmakers supported the motion, commending the senator for raising a critical public health concern. Senator Anthony Ani (Ebonyi South) described the easy access to cheap alcohol as a growing “social menace,” calling for swift action.
“The easy availability of cheap alcohol is fuelling social vices. We must act now to save our young generation from self-destruction,” he said.
In his ruling, Senate President Godswill Akpabio praised the motion as a timely and necessary measure to safeguard youth welfare and public safety.
“This is a matter of urgency,” Akpabio said. “NAFDAC must act decisively to protect Nigerians, especially our young people, from the dangers of unregulated alcohol consumption. Any further extension will undermine our fight against substance abuse.”
Also read: NAFDAC gives 18 months to end trans fats in Nigeria
With this directive, the upper chamber reaffirmed its commitment to supporting NAFDAC in implementing health policies that prioritise the wellbeing of Nigerians over corporate interests.
Source: Read more at freelanews.com
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