The Senate has established a strict deadline for sachet alcohol, instructing the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to cease its production and sale by December 2025.
The legislators cautioned that these inexpensive, high-proof alcoholic drinks, distributed in small bottles and sachets, are severely impacting young Nigerians, escalating addiction, violent behavior, and traffic incidents nationwide.
This resolution was passed following a motion introduced by Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong (Cross River South), who pressed the upper legislative chamber to prevent any further delays in enforcing the prohibition.
Ekpenyong expressed regret that NAFDAC had repeatedly postponed the phase-out deadline due to pressure from manufacturers, despite numerous commitments. He stated that any additional extension would “betray public trust” and undermine Nigeria’s responsibilities regarding public health protection.
He argued, “Packaging alcohol in sachets makes it as easy to consume as sweets, even for children,” and added, “It destroys futures, fuels domestic violence, and endangers lives daily on our roads.”
The motion garnered extensive support from both parties, with senators warning that sachet alcohol had become a pervasive, silent public health crisis in schools, markets, and motor parks.
Senator Anthony Ani (Ebonyi South) labeled the widespread availability of cheap, potent drinks as “a slow poison spreading among the youth.”
The Senate’s position reflects mounting apprehension about the health and societal repercussions of unregulated sachet alcohol. Lawmakers observed that many of these products contain alarmingly high alcohol concentrations and are priced low enough for minors to purchase using small sums of money.
Nigeria previously entered into a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in 2018 with NAFDAC, the Federal Ministry of Health, and industry groups to eliminate the products by 2023. The deadline was subsequently moved to 2025 to give manufacturers time to adjust their production methods.
Nevertheless, senators voiced anger that some corporations were still pushing for more postponements, calling this a challenge to regulatory authority and a danger to national welfare.
Concluding the session, Senate President Godswill Akpabio praised the unanimous decision, characterizing it as “a moral and patriotic stand to protect Nigeria’s future.”
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