The confrontation between the organized labour and NAFDAC intensified on Thursday as protesters entered their seventh straight day of picketing at the agency’s Lagos headquarters in Isolo.
Members of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC), and Food, Beverage and Tobacco Senior Staff Association (FOBTOB) successfully paralyzed operations for several hours, blocking the main entrance and chanting solidarity songs to voice their opposition to the sachet alcohol ban.
While the early morning blockade prevented staff from entering the complex, the arrival of officers from the Odi-Olowo Police Division helped restore order.
By late morning, the gates were cleared and normal activities resumed without violence.
However, union leaders remain defiant, vowing to sustain the pressure until the agency meets their demands.
They are calling for the reopening of factories and warehouses sealed following NAFDAC’s enforcement of a ban on sachet alcohol and 10cl PET bottled alcoholic products.
According to the labour groups, the enforcement has led to widespread factory closures, job losses, and economic hardship for workers and their families.
Jeffery Igein, National Secretary of FOBTOB Employees, said the protest would continue until authorities address their grievances.
“This is the seventh day of our action, and we remain resolute. We will not back down until our concerns are properly handled,” Persecondnews quotes him as saying.
In a statement released during the demonstration, TUC Secretary Comrade Anthony Oyaga slammed NAFDAC’s enforcement tactics, claiming the agency’s “excessive” strategy is sabotaging indigenous manufacturers.
The unions allege that NAFDAC is sealing entire factories—including production lines for legal goods—rather than just the sections tied to the sachet ban.
Labour leaders warn this “blanket shutdown” is triggering a dangerous ripple effect across the value chain, threatening the livelihoods of thousands of transporters, distributors, and retailers.
The protesters are now calling for a “targeted regulatory approach” that balances public health with economic stability.
Appealing directly to President Bola Tinubu, the National Assembly, and traditional leaders, the unions urged the government to choose structured dialogue over what they described as “economic strangulation.”
Until sealed facilities are reopened and a formal negotiation begins, the unions maintain that the picketing will not cease.
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