The Senate has ordered the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to enforce its planned ban on high-strength alcoholic beverages sold in sachets, effective December 2025 — with no further extensions allowed.
The decision followed a motion sponsored by Senator Asuquo Ekpeyong, who urged lawmakers to resist any push for delay in the ongoing phase-out process.
Senator Ekpeyong recalled that NAFDAC and industry stakeholders had, in 2018, agreed to gradually discontinue sachet-packaged alcohol due to rising health and social concerns. He warned that the cheap and easily accessible drinks have led to widespread abuse, particularly among minors and commercial drivers.
He also noted that manufacturers were granted a one-year grace period in 2024 to exhaust their existing stock and shift to safer packaging. According to him, fresh pleas for a further extension would undermine regulatory efforts and endanger public health.
