The Nigerian Senate has moved decisively to buttress a critical public health policy, issuing a firm directive to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) not to extend the December 31, 2025 deadline for prohibiting the production and sale of alcoholic beverages in sachets and small-volume PET bottles.
This legislative intervention came on Thursday following a motion of urgent national importance moved by Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong (Cross River South), emphasizing a need to insulate the regulatory decision from industry pressure.
The Senate’s stance strongly reinforces NAFDAC’s position, which has already begun enforcing the phase-out in January 2024 by sealing several factories and confiscating products in violation of the initial directive.
NAFDAC, led by Director-General Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, has repeatedly maintained that such products are deliberately targeted at young consumers due to their affordability and concealability, linking the policy directly to reducing substance abuse and addiction among Nigerian youth.
Presenting the motion, Senator Ekpenyong argued that maintaining the enforcement timeline was crucial, noting it aligns with global regulatory standards and international best practices aimed at reducing alcohol-related harm among Nigerians. He recalled that the path to the ban began in 2018, when the Federal Ministry of Health, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, NAFDAC, and industry groups, including the Association of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Employers, jointly signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding to gradually phase out the small-volume drinks.
Ekpenyong informed the chamber that while the Federal Government had granted manufacturers a one-year moratorium in 2024 to enable them exhaust existing stock and transition to compliant packaging, certain producers are now actively lobbying for additional time.
He warned the Senate that: “As the December 2025 deadline approaches, certain manufacturers are lobbying for another extension, thereby undermining the regulatory process and jeopardising public health.”
The lawmaker forcefully rejected the possibility of a policy reversal, stating: “We cannot continue to expose our youths to cheap, easily accessible alcohol that destroys lives and endangers public safety.” He argued that the continued sale of high-content alcoholic beverages in sachet form was fuelling addiction, impaired cognitive development, school dropouts, domestic violence, and a rise in road accidents, especially among commercial drivers and teenagers.
Furthermore, he cautioned that companies that had complied in good faith were now being placed at a competitive disadvantage by those still producing banned formats.
During the debate, lawmakers unanimously backed the motion, stressing the necessity for stronger enforcement and sustained public sensitization campaigns.
Senator Anthony Ani (Ebonyi South) backed the motion, describing the situation as a worsening public health threat. “The easy availability of cheap alcohol is fueling social vices. We must act now to save our young generation from self-destruction,” he said.
The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, concluded the debate by asserting that the resolution was a necessary step to protect the nation’s youth and public safety, issuing a clear warning that NAFDAC must fully implement the ban without compromise.
“This is a matter of urgency,” Akpabio said. “The agency must act decisively to protect Nigerians, especially our young people, from the dangers of unregulated alcohol consumption.”
