The groups, acting in solidarity with organised labour in the industry, say the regulatory action has already triggered widespread job losses and could further deepen economic hardship if not urgently reviewed. Union leaders estimate that the ban could displace more than 5.5 million Nigerians engaged across the production, distribution and retail value chain of sachet alcohol.
The protest followed earlier demonstrations by members of the Food, Beverages and Tobacco Senior Staff Association and the National Union of Food, Beverages and Tobacco Employees at NAFDAC’s Lagos office. The unions have consistently argued that the ban has effectively shut workers out of their jobs and threatens the survival of small and medium-scale businesses in the sector.
NAFDAC’s Director-General, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, has defended the policy, stating that the ban was introduced to protect children and vulnerable groups from the indiscriminate consumption of alcohol. However, protesters insist that the agency’s position does not reflect realities on the ground.
Speaking on behalf of a coalition of civil society organisations, Comrade Declan Ihekaire said the planned nationwide action was aimed at compelling the authorities to reconsider the ban. He warned that millions of Nigerians who depend on sachet alcohol production and sales for their livelihoods were being unfairly targeted.
Ihekaire accused the government of deploying regulatory agencies to enforce policies that disproportionately affect low-income earners, who make up the bulk of consumers of sachet alcoholic products. He argued that prohibition was excessive, noting that regulation and enforcement of standards would have been a more balanced approach.
“The ban can only be justified if there is a clear and present health emergency,” he said. “Telling people they cannot take sachet alcohol but should buy bottled alternatives is similar to saying they should stop drinking sachet water and only drink bottled water.”
Union leaders also challenged claims by NAFDAC that sachet alcoholic drinks contain dangerously high alcohol levels. Addressing the protesters, the Lagos Branch Chairman of the Food, Beverage and Tobacco Senior Staff Association, Comrade Somefun Olamiye, described such claims as misleading.
“No sachet alcoholic drink exceeds 43 per cent alcohol content,” Olamiye said, dismissing assertions that some products contain as much as 95 per cent alcohol.
He appealed for an immediate lifting of the ban, stressing that many low-income Nigerians, including widows, petty traders and small-scale distributors, rely on sachet alcohol sales to support their families and pay school fees.
The unions also vowed to escalate the matter to the National Assembly, calling on the Federal Government to intervene. According to them, the policy runs contrary to the administration’s promise of economic relief and job creation under the renewed hope agenda.
As the standoff continues, industry stakeholders warn that failure to resolve the dispute could lead to prolonged protests and further disruption within the sector.