The Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has directed the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to cease the production and sale of alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets and small bottles by December 31, 2025.
The resolution follows a motion of urgent national importance sponsored by Asuquo Ekpenyong (Cross River South), calling for decisive action to protect young Nigerians from the rising abuse of low-cost, high-strength alcohol.
Ekpenyong noted with concern that despite earlier deadlines, some manufacturers were lobbying for further extensions. He warned that such delays would “betray public trust” and undermine Nigeria’s obligations to protect public health.
He said: “Packaging alcohol in sachets makes it as easy to consume as sweets, even for children. It destroys futures, fuels domestic violence, and endangers lives daily on our roads.”
During the debate, lawmakers described sachet-packaged alcohol as a growing menace in schools, motor parks, and markets, warning of its link to youth addiction, violence and road accidents.
Senator Anthony Ani (Ebonyi South) referred to the proliferation of cheap high-alcohol drinks as “a slow poison spreading among the youth.”
In his remarks, Senate President Godswill Akpabio described the resolution as a “moral and patriotic stand to protect Nigeria’s future.”
The Senate recalled that in 2018 the Federal Government, through NAFDAC, the Federal Ministry of Health and industry associations signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to phase-out sachet alcohol by 2023. The deadline was later extended to December 2025 to allow manufacturers to adjust.
Under the new directive:
- No further extension beyond December 2025 will be permitted.
- NAFDAC and relevant regulatory bodies must enforce the ban without delay.
- The Federal Ministry of Health is to expedite the release of a National Alcohol Policy, and the National Orientation Agency (NOA) will launch a sensitisation campaign for young people.
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