From Victor Osula, Abuja
The Senate has directed the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to fully enforce its December 31, 2025 deadline for the ban on the production of alcohol in sachets and small bottles, insisting there will be no extension.
The resolution followed a motion of urgent national importance sponsored by Senator Asuquo Ekpeyong (Cross River South), who raised alarm over the increasing abuse of sachet and small-sized alcoholic beverages across the country.
Ekpeyong noted that the affordability and easy accessibility of such drinks have made them popular among minors, students, commercial drivers, and unemployed youths — leading to rising cases of addiction, reckless driving, domestic violence and public disorder.
While acknowledging industry concerns about potential job losses, the senator stressed that the social and public health consequences of continued production far outweigh economic interests.
Supporting the motion, Senator Adamu Aliero (Kebbi Central) warned that alcohol-related road accidents involving commercial drivers have reached “disturbing levels,” urging NAFDAC to resist lobbying efforts aimed at delaying enforcement.
Also speaking, Senator Ireti Kingibe (FCT) described the proliferation of sachet alcohol in schools and neighbourhood shops as “a slow-moving epidemic” undermining the physical and mental wellbeing of young Nigerians.
Other lawmakers echoed similar concerns, describing the motion as a necessary safeguard for public health.
Presiding, Senate President Godswill Akpabio commended the motion as a “timely national intervention,” stressing that the upper chamber will not support any move to shift the December 31, 2025 deadline.
“We cannot continue to watch our children destroy their lives because of cheap and dangerous alcohol,” Akpabio said. “Any extension will be considered sabotage. NAFDAC must act decisively.”
The Senate also urged the Federal Ministry of Health, the National Orientation Agency (NOA) and civil society organisations to intensify nationwide sensitisation against alcohol abuse, particularly among young people.
