By Joshua Tosin Ogunsakin 
The Senate has directed the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control to stick strictly to the 31 December 2025 deadline for phasing out alcoholic drinks sold in sachets and small PET bottles, warning that no extension will be entertained.
The decision came after Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong (Cross River South) raised a motion of urgent national importance during Tuesday’s plenary, drawing attention to the growing concerns around cheap, high-strength alcoholic drinks and their impact on young Nigerians.
While presenting his motion, Ekpenyong noted that the timeline for enforcement aligns with global standards designed to curb alcohol-related harm. He pointed out that in 2018, the Federal Ministry of Health, NAFDAC, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission and key industry groups—including the Association of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Employers—signed a five-year agreement to end the production of sachet and mini-bottle alcoholic beverages. The goal, he said, was to combat rising abuse among youths who often have easy access to inexpensive alcohol.
He added that although the Federal Government granted manufacturers a one-year moratorium in 2024 to clear existing stock and adjust their production lines, some producers were now seeking another extension.
“As the December 2025 deadline approaches, certain manufacturers are lobbying for another extension, thereby undermining the regulatory process and jeopardising public health,” he said.
“We cannot continue to expose our youths to cheap, easily accessible alcohol that destroys lives and endangers public safety,” he said.
Ekpenyong warned that continued circulation of high-content alcoholic sachets was contributing to addiction, impaired judgement, school dropouts, domestic violence and increased road accidents—particularly involving commercial drivers and minors. He also raised concerns that companies already complying with the directive were being unfairly disadvantaged by those still pushing non-compliant products into the market.
During debate on the motion, several senators expressed strong support, calling for tougher enforcement and wider public sensitisation. Senator Anthony Ani (Ebonyi South) described the trend as a deepening public health crisis.
“The easy availability of cheap alcohol is fueling social vices. We must act now to save our young generation from self-destruction,” he said.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio endorsed the resolution, stressing the need for NAFDAC to take definitive action.
“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.”
NAFDAC began implementing the phase-out in January 2024, shutting down non-compliant factories and seizing banned products. The agency, under its Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, has repeatedly argued that sachet alcoholic drinks are designed to appeal to youths because they are cheap, easy to conceal and widely available.
Despite pushback from some segments of the beverage industry, the agency continues to stand firm on the policy, saying it is a crucial step in reducing underage drinking, substance abuse and rising addiction rates across Nigeria.