Tension build as Nigerian government move to end sachet alcohol production

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Some Nigerians have not been on board with the notion of outlawing alcoholic beverages in sachets and little bottles since it was initially proposed.

The Federal Ministry of Health, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), and organizations like the Association of Food, Beverages and Tobacco Employers (AFBTE) came together and agreed to sign a five-year memorandum of understanding (MoU) to gradually phase out sachet and small-bottle alcoholic drinks as a result of the public outcry in 2018.

The administration has changed the implementation a several times since then.

However, reactions have continued to follow the idea in the wake of the most recent measures.

Initially, it was said that the producers of these drink categories engaged in a vigorous lobbying effort to make sure the idea was suppressed, but it persisted.

The manufacturers have managed to postpone the policy’s full implementation.

However, the Senate directed NAFDAC not to extend the December 31 implementation date for the production of alcohol in sachets and tiny bottles last week, precisely on Tuesday, November 5.

The resolution came after Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong, who represents Cross River South, submitted a motion of urgent national concern at last Tuesday’s plenary session.

In presenting the motion, Ekpenyong stated that the instruction was in accordance with worldwide best practices and global regulatory standards intended to lessen alcohol-related harm among Nigerians.

He recalled that a five-year memorandum of understanding (MoU) to gradually phase out sachet and small-bottle alcoholic drinks was voluntarily signed in 2018 by the Federal Ministry of Health, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), NAFDAC, and industry organizations, including the Association of Food, Beverages and Tobacco Employers (AFBTE).

Ekpenyong clarified that the Federal Government has already granted a one-year moratorium in 2024 in response to petitions from manufacturers, allowing them to deplete their current inventory and switch to compatible packaging options.

The congressman was worried, though, that certain producers were pushing for another extension, which he claimed would weaken regulatory authority, jeopardize public health, and keep dangerous alcoholic goods on the market.

“As the December 2025 deadline approaches, certain manufacturers are lobbying for another extension, thereby undermining the regulatory process and jeopardising public health.

“We cannot continue to expose our youths to cheap, easily accessible alcohol that destroys lives and endangers public safety,” Ekpenyong said.

He cautioned that the ongoing availability of high-strength alcoholic beverages in sachet form has led to an increase in road accidents, especially among young people and commercial drivers, as well as addiction, poor cognitive development, school dropouts, and domestic violence.

Ekpenyong added that this created an unbalanced market since manufacturers who had cooperated in good faith were now at a disadvantage to those who continued to make the non-compliant goods.

After much discussion, parliamentarians who supported the resolution praised Ekpenyong for bringing up the matter and emphasized the need for more stringent enforcement and public awareness.

The request was supported by Senator Anthony Ani of Ebonyi South, who described the easy access to inexpensive alcohol as an increasing social threat.

“The easy availability of cheap alcohol is fuelling social vices. We must act now to save our young generation from self-destruction,” he said.

Godswill Akpabio, the president of the Senate, called the resolution a crucial step toward protecting juvenile welfare and public health in his ruling.

He warned that any additional delay would jeopardize Nigeria’s efforts to combat substance misuse and urged NAFDAC to guarantee complete enforcement of the ban by December 2025.

“This is a matter of urgency, the agency must act decisively to protect Nigerians, especially our young people, from the dangers of unregulated alcohol consumption” Akpabio said.

On Tuesday, November 11, NAFDAC reaffirmed its determination to start enforcing the ban on the production and sale of alcoholic beverages in sachets and small-volume bottles next month in response to the Senate vote and the directive that followed.

Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, the Director-General of NAFDAC, recently made a statement in Abuja that included the facts.

According to her, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and the Nigerian Senate ordered the decisive action, which highlighted the agency’s statutory mandate to protect vulnerable populations—especially children, adolescents, and young adults—from the harmful use of alcohol.

She continued by saying that the ubiquitous availability, affordability, and concealability of high alcohol content beverages in sachets and small containers has resulted in their widespread abuse and addiction among juveniles and commercial drivers.

“This is a public health menace, and it has been linked to increased incidences of domestic violence, road accidents, school dropouts, and social vices across communities.

“This ban is not punitive but protective. It is aimed at safeguarding the health and future of our children and youth.

“The decision is rooted in scientific evidence and public health considerations. We cannot continue to sacrifice the well-being of Nigerians for short-term economic gain. The health of a nation is its true wealth,” she said.

She reaffirmed that the legislation only applied to two types of alcoholic beverages: small-volume pet/glass bottles under 200ml and spirit drinks packaged in sachets.

She urged all parties involved—manufacturers, distributors, and retailers—to adhere strictly to the phase-out timetable because no more extensions would be accepted after December 2025.

A five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed in December 2018 by NAFDAC, the Federal Ministry of Health, and the FCCPC with the Association of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Employers (AFBTE) and the Distillers and Blenders Association of Nigeria (DIBAN) to phase out sachet and small-volume alcohol packaging by January 31, 2024, according to ZINGTIE.

Later, the ban was extended until December 2025 to give business owners time to reorganize manufacturing lines and deplete outdated inventory.

However, NAFDAC stressed that Nigeria’s commitment to the World Health Organization’s Global Strategy to Reduce the Harmful Use of Alcohol (WHA63.13, 2010), to which Nigeria is a signatory, and the present Senate resolution are in line with the spirit and text of that agreement.

As of right now, the Federal Government, NAFDAC, the Senate, and some Nigerians are well-known for their stance on the matter, which is that the production of hot drinks in sachets and small bottles puts hundreds of thousands of young Nigerians at risk for overconsumption of the substance, which has been linked to a number of health problems, including kidney failure, high blood pressure, and other heart-related health issues.

Some Nigerians, especially manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers, believe that the change may hinder their company’s expansion.

They actually perceive it as an assault on their sources of income.

Mrs. Bukola Jaiyeloba, a businesswoman who trades in these kinds of things, is among many who make this claim.

She urged the government to overturn the judgment, claiming that the restriction will undoubtedly have an impact on her firm.

“These people don’t consider the common man at all. Those who started the production of these sachets and small bottle hot drinks were only thinking of the ordinary man, who also deserves to be happy.

“They know that it is not everybody that can afford to buy a big bottle of hot drink and that is why they decided to produce the sachet and small bottles so that even the poor can also have access to it and keep boy and soul happy.

“But with this new law now, this category of Nigerians will no longer be able to afford the drinks and that won’t be good for the nation. It could push many of them to take drugs, which is another big problem for the country.

“For us who are into the business, our business will equally shake. If care is not taken, many people will be out of business because these are the products that everyone can afford and we sell them like groundnuts, making our profits and contributing to our family upkeep.

“So, we just plead that the government should reconsider this move and allow the poor person to breathe in this country,” she said.

In addition to those who produce or market the commodity, consumers—the vast majority of whom are oppressed—are also complaining that the government is going to rob them of their happiness.

One of the customers informed ZINGTIE that the Nigerian government is constantly chasing shadows at the Mile 2 drinking location in Lagos, where customers congregate in the morning and evening to purchase certain types of drink.

He questioned why, while narcotics that kill millions of young Nigerians are permitted to be marketed and used even in public, the government is interested in taking away the one thing that brings them joy.

“How can anybody think of this kind of policy? If they say it is causing health problems and that is why they are being banned, is it not the same thing that is in the big bottles?

“They are only going to make things difficult for us but we must find a way around it. We can pull resources together to buy the bottle and use a small cup to share among ourselves; just that it won’t be easy for us.

“Why is the government after those that take hot drinks but allow the youths to waste their lives on hard drugs? They will tell you that they are fighting drug peddlers but that is not true.

“Drugs like Marijuana, colos and others are no longer hidden. Both the sellers and consumers no longer hide it. In fact, people smoke marijuana on the street of Lagos in broad daylight and the security agents will see them and do nothing, but it is a sachet and small bottle of hot drinks that they want to ban so that our joy will be taken away.

“Well, all I know is that the poor will always find a way of making life worth living, no matter what the rich do.

“This policy will not break us, it would rather strengthen us to find alternatives to our joy.

“Some people have been begging but it seems they are bent on doing their worst. All I know is that life must continue and we will always find a way around it,” he stated.

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