Members of the Distillers and Blenders Association of Nigeria (DIBAN) on Wednesday protested at the Lagos office of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) over the agency’s decision to enforce a ban on the production and sale of alcoholic drinks packaged in sachets. The demonstrators, accompanied by representatives of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), displayed placards bearing messages 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.”
Earlier in the week, NAFDAC announced that it had begun enforcing the nationwide ban on the manufacture and sale of alcohol packaged in sachets and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles. The enforcement followed a Senate directive instructing the agency to halt the production of alcoholic beverages in sachets and small-sized bottles by December 2025. The decision stemmed from a motion sponsored by Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong, who represents Cross River South in the Senate.
NAFDAC later clarified that a complete ban on the affected products would take effect by December 2025, a development that has sparked backlash from industry players. The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) and several civil society groups have cautioned that the policy could lead to the loss of millions of jobs and cause economic losses running into trillions of naira.In defence of the enforcement action, NAFDAC’s Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, said the decision was based on public health considerations, especially the need to safeguard vulnerable populations. She explained at a media briefing in Lagos on Wednesday that the widespread availability of high-alcohol-content drinks in sachets and small containers has made them cheap, easy to access and simple to conceal.
Source: https://leadership.ng/
