Members of the Food, Beverage and Tobacco Senior Staff Association (FOBTOB) yesterday protested outside the Lagos office of the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), demanding the suspension of the sachet alcohol ban.
The workers, largely from distillery companies affected by the enforcement, called for the immediate release of products allegedly held by NAFDAC and the reopening of factories and depots sealed during recent operations. They accused the agency of ignoring purported directives from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) ordering a halt to enforcement pending further clarification.
Chanting solidarity songs and carrying placards, the protesters insisted that NAFDAC Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, should comply with what they described as federal directives suspending enforcement of the ban. Industry stakeholders argued that continued enforcement contradicted the SGF’s clarification and was causing economic losses, job disruptions, and hardship for workers.
As of press time, there were no reports of violence, although security presence around the NAFDAC office was heightened. Efforts to mediate between the union and the regulatory agency were ongoing.
However, in a swift reaction, NAFDAC denied reports that the Federal Government directed it to suspend enforcement against sachet alcohol and 200ml PET bottle alcoholic products, describing the claims as “false and misleading.”
In a statement, Adeyeye said the agency had not received any formal communication from the Federal Government ordering a halt to its regulatory activities. “The said publication is false, misleading, and does not reflect any official communication received by the Agency from the Federal Government,” she stated.
She maintained that NAFDAC operates strictly within its statutory mandate and existing regulatory frameworks. “At no time has the Agency received any formal directive ordering the suspension of its regulatory or enforcement activities in respect of sachet alcohol products,” she said.
Adeyeye added that the agency has begun evaluating violative sachet alcohol and alcohol in PET bottles of less than 200ml, noting that about 50 percent of minors and underage individuals patronise retailers of such products.
NAFDAC reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding public health and warned against spreading unverified information, saying such reports could cause public anxiety, economic uncertainty, and misinterpretation of government policy. The agency urged the public and industry stakeholders to rely only on verified information from official platforms.
The development comes amid ongoing regulatory scrutiny of sachet alcohol products over concerns about accessibility and abuse, particularly among young people.
