The Nigerian Senate has directed the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control to fully enforce the ban on the production and sale of sachet and small bottle alcoholic drinks by December 2025.
The lawmakers insisted that the decision was necessary to protect public health and stop the easy access of children and young people to alcohol.
The resolution followed a motion raised by Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong representing Cross River South, who expressed concern over the repeated extensions of the ban. He said the continued sale of alcohol in sachets makes it cheap, attractive and easily accessible to minors. He stated that the harmful practice of packaging alcohol in sachets must be stopped to safeguard the younger generation.
Lawmakers recalled that an agreement was signed in 2018 between NAFDAC, the Federal Ministry of Health, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission and industry groups to phase out sachet alcohol. However, they noted that the implementation had been delayed several times despite the rising health risks and social problems linked to its consumption.
The Senate ruled that no further extension should be granted beyond December 2025 and urged NAFDAC and the Ministry of Health to ensure strict compliance across the country. It also called on the National Orientation Agency to increase public sensitisation on the dangers of consuming alcohol sold in sachets and small bottles.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio described the decision as a moral step to protect Nigerians from the long term dangers associated with sachet alcohol. He said the excuses for delaying the ban must end and stated that the government has a duty to safeguard the health and wellbeing of citizens.
Public health advocates have welcomed the Senate directive, saying that the availability of cheap alcoholic drinks in sachets has contributed to addiction, school dropouts, violence and health complications. Nigerians now await NAFDAC’s enforcement strategy to meet the December 2025 deadline.
