NAFDAC Alcohol Ban Sparks Workers Protest
Workers in Nigeria’s distillery sector have raised the alarm over a fresh enforcement drive that could put millions of livelihoods at risk across the country.
The warning came on Friday in Lagos, where unions representing staff in food, beverage and tobacco companies protested at the office of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control over the renewed clampdown on sachet alcohol and small PET bottles.
The unions said the action followed NAFDAC’s move to begin enforcing a ban on the production and sale of alcoholic drinks packaged in sachets and containers below 200ml, despite earlier signals that the policy had been put on hold for consultations.
Union leaders argued that the enforcement would affect about 500,000 workers directly employed in the sector and more than five million others whose jobs depend on related supply chains, distribution and retail activities.
They also faulted the agency’s position that sachet alcohol fuels underage drinking, insisting that the problem lies with access and regulation rather than outright prohibition, and warned that factory closures could worsen unemployment and insecurity.
The workers urged the presidency to step in, calling for dialogue and policies that protect local industries, preserve jobs and restore confidence among investors while addressing public health concerns in a balanced way.
