Members of the Distillers and Blenders Association of Nigeria (DIBAN), on Wednesday, staged a protest at the Lagos office of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) over the agency’s enforcement of a ban on the production and sale of alcoholic beverages in sachets.
The protesters, joined by representatives of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), carried placards with inscriptions such as “Stop destroying local manufacturers,” “₦2 trillion investment deserves protection,” “5.5 million Nigerians cannot be pushed to the streets,” and “The Renewed Hope Agenda must work for all Nigerians.”
NAFDAC had announced earlier this week that it had commenced the enforcement of the ban on the manufacture and sale of alcohol packaged in sachets and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles nationwide.
The decision followed a directive by the Senate, which resolved that the agency should end the production of alcoholic beverages in sachets and small-sized bottles by December 2025. The resolution was reached after a motion sponsored by Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong, representing Cross River South senatorial district.
Subsequently, NAFDAC disclosed that a total ban on the affected products would take effect by December 2025, a move that has drawn criticism from industry stakeholders.
The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) and several civil society organisations have warned that the ban could result in the loss of millions of jobs and inflict trillions of naira in economic losses.
Defending the enforcement action, NAFDAC Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, said the move was driven by public health concerns, particularly the need to protect vulnerable groups.
“The proliferation of high-alcohol-content beverages in sachets and small containers has made these products easily accessible, affordable and concealable,” Adeyeye said during a media briefing in Lagos on Wednesday.
