The Nigerian Senate has taken a firm stand in support of a major public health initiative, directing the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) not to extend the December 31, 2025 deadline for banning the production and sale of alcoholic beverages in sachets and small PET bottles.
The decision followed a motion of urgent national importance sponsored by Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong (Cross River South) on Thursday, who stressed the need to shield NAFDAC’s regulatory action from pressure by industry players.
This resolution reinforces NAFDAC’s ongoing enforcement efforts, which began in January 2024, including the sealing of non-compliant factories and seizure of products that contravene the directive.
NAFDAC’s Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, has consistently argued that sachet and small-sized alcoholic drinks are designed to appeal to young consumers because they are cheap and easy to conceal. The agency maintains that the ban aims to curb alcohol abuse and addiction among Nigerian youths.
While presenting the motion, Senator Ekpenyong emphasized that keeping to the enforcement deadline is essential, noting that it aligns with international standards for reducing alcohol-related harm.
He reminded lawmakers that the process leading to the ban began in 2018, when the Federal Ministry of Health, NAFDAC, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, and key industry associations signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding to phase out the products gradually.
Ekpenyong added that although the Federal Government allowed a one-year grace period in 2024 to enable manufacturers to clear existing stock and transition to compliant packaging, some producers are now lobbying for an extension — a move the Senate firmly opposed.
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.”
Food & Wellbeing1 year ago