The Senate has directed the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to enforce, without delay, the December 31, 2025 deadline for the ban on the production and sale of alcoholic drinks in sachets and small PET bottles.
The upper chamber issued the order on Thursday, warning that no further extension would be entertained beyond the stipulated date.
This resolution followed a motion of urgent national importance sponsored by Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong (Cross River South), who described the regulation as a vital public health measure consistent with international best practices.
Ekpenyong recalled that in 2018, the Federal Ministry of Health, NAFDAC, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, and key industry groups such as the Association of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Employers signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding to phase out the production of high-strength alcohol packaged in sachets and mini bottles.
The agreement, he said, was designed to address the widespread abuse of cheap alcoholic beverages, particularly among young people and low-income earners.
According to him, the Federal Government granted manufacturers a one-year grace period in 2024 to deplete existing stock and comply with new packaging standards. However, he expressed concern that some companies were lobbying for an extension, describing the move as an attempt to undermine national health and safety objectives.
“As the December 2025 deadline approaches, certain manufacturers are seeking another postponement, which threatens to compromise the integrity of our regulatory system,” Ekpenyong said. “We cannot continue to expose our youths to easily accessible alcohol that destroys lives and communities.”
He added that sachet and small-bottle alcoholic drinks had been linked to rising cases of addiction, domestic violence, road crashes, and declining productivity among young Nigerians.
Supporting the motion, Senator Anthony Ani (Ebonyi South) described the proliferation of cheap alcohol as a “silent epidemic” destroying families and the future of the country’s youth.
“The easy availability of high-content alcohol is fueling social decay. The time for decisive action is now,” Ani stressed.
In his ruling, Senate President Godswill Akpabio commended the motion and reaffirmed the chamber’s commitment to safeguarding public health.
“This is a national emergency,” Akpabio declared. “NAFDAC must enforce the deadline without compromise to protect our young population and ensure public safety.”
NAFDAC had commenced the phased enforcement of the ban in January 2024, sealing several non-compliant factories and confiscating illicit products.
Its Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, has repeatedly defended the policy, stating that sachet alcoholic drinks are deliberately targeted at young consumers because they are cheap, portable, and easy to conceal.
