Employees in Nigeria’s alcohol manufacturing sector on Monday intensified opposition to the Federal Government’s ban on sachet alcoholic drinks and PET bottles below 200 millilitres, warning that they would mobilise a nationwide protest if the policy is not reversed.
The workers, under the aegis of the Food, Beverages and Tobacco Senior Staff Association and the National Union of Food, Beverages and Tobacco Employees, stormed the Lagos office of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control along the Oshodi-Apapa Expressway for the second time in four days, carrying placards and chanting solidarity songs.
The unions said the ban had already disrupted operations across factories nationwide and threatened the livelihoods of more than five million Nigerians directly and indirectly engaged in the value chain, including factory workers, distributors, transporters and retailers.
Their latest protest came days after NAFDAC’s Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, insisted that the agency would not lift the ban, saying it was backed by existing regulations and would only be reviewed if there was a change in legislation.
Speaking to journalists, the National President of FOBTOB, Oyibo Jimoh, accused NAFDAC of acting in disregard of ongoing engagements with the National Assembly to develop a comprehensive national alcohol policy that would balance public health concerns with economic realities.
“While discussions are ongoing at the House of Representatives on a framework that accommodates all stakeholders, NAFDAC went ahead to seal factories and shut down production lines. That is unacceptable,” Jimoh said.
He also disputed claims by the NAFDAC boss on the alcohol content of sachet beverages, describing them as “misleading and designed to distort public understanding of the industry.”
Jimoh added that unions and manufacturers were excluded from Senate deliberations that preceded the ban, stressing that workers would continue to resist what he described as a “policy driven without consultation.”
The Head of Department for Brewery and Tobacco at NUFBTE, Azeez Rasaq, said the unions were already considering escalation to the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress, warning that silence from organised labour could worsen the crisis.
“We are talking about the possibility of 5.5 million Nigerians losing their jobs. If government continues to ignore our appeals, it could lead to a nationwide protest. That is very possible,” Rasaq said.
Members of civil society groups, including the Coalition for the Protection of Consumers’ Rights, also joined the protest.
Speaking on behalf of the organisations, Declan Ihekaira said the ban unfairly targeted low-income earners who relied on sachet alcohol as affordable alternatives, adding that the policy infringed on consumers’ rights.
“This is not just about workers; it is also about access, choice and livelihoods. If this ban is not reversed, we will mobilise our members across the country,” he warned.
One of the affected workers, Biodun Adeyemi, said he was prepared to join any nationwide protest, insisting that the policy threatened his family’s survival.
“I could lose my job, and that will affect not just me but my children and extended family. If the only language government understands is mass action, then we are ready,” he said.
Similarly, the Lagos State Chairman of FOBTOB, Olamiye Somefun, said the unions were considering marching to Abuja to confront lawmakers directly.
“Our next step is to take this protest to the National Assembly. President Bola Tinubu promised to improve the lives of Nigerians. We do not know if NAFDAC’s actions align with that promise,” Somefun said.
NAFDAC had announced the ban as part of measures to curb alcohol abuse, particularly among young people, and to address health and social risks associated with unregulated consumption. However, industry players and labour unions insist that outright prohibition would worsen unemployment, encourage illicit production and undermine government revenue.
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