Stakeholders in the food and beverage industry are escalating their opposition to NAFDAC’s ban on sachet alcoholic drinks.
A coalition of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) has vowed to disrupt the operations of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) until the policy is reviewed, citing severe economic consequences.
Labour unions joined the fray over the weekend, protesting at NAFDAC’s Lagos headquarters, Persecondnews reports.
They argue that the ban could lead to the displacement of 5.5 million workers.
However, NAFDAC DG Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye defended the regulation, emphasizing that its primary objective is to safeguard public health, particularly by limiting alcohol access for minors.
She said: “What our own liver can take, the children’s liver may not be able to take it. We are thinking about this in terms of protection and extending a child’s lifespan. Our stand is that we obey those who created the law for us.
“It is in the interest of public health because the probability that a child who started drinking at the age of 10 will have liver cirrhosis by 40 is very high.”
The protesters occupied the NAFDAC Lagos office on Monday, January 26, vowing a permanent sit-in until the sachet alcohol ban is reversed.
Speaking for the coalition, Declan Ihekaire framed the action as a stand for the millions of workers—from distillers to retailers—now facing unemployment due to the regulatory shift.
Ihekaire slammed the ban as an attack on low-income Nigerians, accusing the government of weaponizing regulation against the poor.
He argued that such a drastic move lacks justification unless tied to an immediate, severe health crisis, warning that the policy will only deepen the nation’s economic hardship.
“Millions of Nigerians have decided to go on low-key by consuming those products because of the income level. It’s not everybody that is so rich to afford Hennessy and other big drinks.
“So when you now say we shouldn’t take such a drink, it’s as good as saying don’t take sachet water but only take bottled water,” he said.
Ihekaire argued that NAFDAC should have opted for tighter regulation instead of an outright ban to address its concerns.
Joining the criticism, Somefun Olamiye, the Lagos Branch Chairman of FOBTOB, accused the agency’s Director-General of spreading misinformation.
He specifically debunked the claim that sachet drinks contain 95% alcohol, clarifying that no product in that category exceeds a 43% concentration.
Olamiye also highlighted the human cost of the policy, noting that many widows and small-scale traders rely on these sales to feed their families and pay school fees.
Meanwhile, FOBTOB Executive Secretary Solomon Adebosin questioned the agency’s sudden reversal, asking why products that NAFDAC had previously tested, registered, and periodically renewed are now being labeled as dangerous.
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