The Senate has directed the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control to strictly enforce the ban on alcoholic beverages in sachets, insisting the December 2025 deadline must stand.
The lawmakers further resolved that no additional extension should be granted beyond the current moratorium.
This 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 sachet formats.
In his lead debate during plenary, Senator Ekpeyong reminded the Senate that NAFDAC, in line with international best practices and after extensive consultations, had announced a phased ban on such products.
He noted that in 2018, stakeholders including the Federal Ministry of Health and industry groups voluntarily signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding to gradually phase out such products. The agreement cited rising health and social concerns over their affordability and accessibility, particularly among children, adolescents, and other vulnerable groups.
The lawmaker recalled that despite the initial deadline, the Federal Government granted manufacturers an additional one-year moratorium in 2024, 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. He warned this move undermines regulatory authority, threatens public health, and distorts fair competition.
He stated that the continued production of high-strength alcoholic beverages in sachet formats fuels youth addiction, road accidents, school dropouts, domestic violence, and other social vices.
Following brief deliberations, the Senate resolved to also instruct the Federal Ministry of Health to remove any impediments preventing NAFDAC from carrying out its enforcement responsibilities.
The lawmakers further asked the Ministry of Health to expedite the release of the National Alcohol Policy, which should clearly prohibit sachet packaging and support coordinated public sensitization efforts.
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