Chukwu Obinna 
ABUJA, Nigeria – Nigeria’s Senate has reaffirmed the December 2025 enforcement deadline for the ban on high-alcohol sachets, rejecting renewed appeals from beverage manufacturers seeking additional compliance extensions.
The decision followed a motion raised during Thursday’s plenary by Senator Asuquo Ekpeyong, who warned that repeated postponements undermine regulatory credibility and worsen public health risks.
Ekpeyong stressed that the sachet alcohol market has fuelled youth addiction, road accidents, and domestic violence, citing public health studies linking cheap, portable liquor to rising substance dependency.
“Delaying implementation weakens regulatory integrity, endangers public health, and distorts fair competition,” Sen. Ekpeyong said.
The sachet alcohol phase-out stems from a 2018 agreement between NAFDAC and beverage producers, with an initial production halt and transition plan. Although companies were granted a 2024 grace period to clear stock and adopt safer packaging, industry groups again requested more time, citing economic pressures and logistics challenges.
Senators, however, argued that continued extensions prioritise profits over human life, particularly among vulnerable youth populations.
Following deliberations, the Senate directed the Federal Ministry of Health to remove remaining procedural bottlenecks and accelerate the rollout of a National Alcohol Control Policy, which will:
Ban high-alcohol sachets and PET mini-bottles, strengthen enforcement in open markets and transport hubs and launch public education campaigns on alcohol abuse risks
The resolution signals a firm policy stance, narrowing options for manufacturers seeking regulatory leniency. With the December 2025 deadline upheld, NAFDAC is now expected to begin full-scale enforcement without further delay.
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