By Johnson Idowu
Members of the distillers’ association, under the aegis of the Food, Beverages and Tobacco Senior Staff Association and the National Union of Food, Beverages and Tobacco Employees, have warned that the enforcement being carried out by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control will displace no fewer than 5.5 million Nigerians from their jobs.
The unions, which are affiliates of the Trade Union Congress and the Nigeria Labour Congress, disclosed this on Friday when they besieged the Lagos office of NAFDAC to protest the order stopping them from distributing their products.
PUNCH recalled that NAFDAC said it had begun enforcing the ban on the production and sale of alcohol in sachets and PET bottles below 200ml.
NAFDAC had, on November 11, 2025, announced plans to enforce a total ban on such products by December 2025, in line with a directive from the Senate.
However, enforcement was initially halted after the Federal Government, through the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, called for an immediate suspension of all actions and measures related to the proposed ban, pending consultations and a final directive.
The Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, during a media briefing on Wednesday, said the agency had received a matching order from the Senate to proceed and that enforcement had already commenced.
Speaking at the protest ground on Friday, the Executive Secretary of FOBTOB, Solomon Adebosin, said the enforcement would displace no fewer than 5.5 million direct and indirect jobs.
He noted that the policy undermined the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu, which seeks to attract investment into the country.
The executive secretary added that NAFDAC’s claim that sachet alcohol and PET drinks were accessible to minors and children could not be backed by empirical facts.
Adebosin said, “We are here today to protest the sudden seizure of our companies in the distillery sector by NAFDAC concerning the issue of sachet drinks and PET bottles that are less than 200ml. We have 500,000 Nigerians working directly in this sector and over five million working indirectly, and they are going to be affected.
“Access and control are what we should be talking about. Let us be able to put control on these things such that children and minors do not have access to them.”
He stressed that the distillers had continued to invest in advocacy and sensitisation to prevent unqualified persons from consuming their products.
Also speaking, the Head of Department, Brewery and Tobacco, of the NUFBTE, Azeez Razaq, alleged that the actions of NAFDAC depicted sabotage of the growth of indigenous manufacturers.
He condemned the decision of the agency to violate the directive of the SGF, which ordered a stay of action on the ban.
Razaq added that shutting down the companies would result in job losses that could further worsen insecurity in Nigeria.
While reading the demands of the unions, a member of FOBTOB, Anthony Oyagha, added, “We call on the Presidency to urgently intervene to ensure that NAFDAC aligns its actions with government policy, legislative oversight, and the broader national interest.
“Local manufacturers deserve honour, protection, and partnership, not punitive measures that destroy investments, livelihoods, and confidence in Nigeria’s business environment.
“We respectfully urge Mr President to act decisively to safeguard indigenous industries, protect jobs, and ensure that regulatory agencies serve the Nigerian people and not external interests.”
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Contact: health_wise@punchng.
