₦airaland Forum

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 Online reports 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.”

Source: https://punchng.com/sachet-alcohol-ban-threatens-five-million-jobs-distillers-warn-nafdac

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.

Thank you NAFDAC. If they can't produce in 200ml and above, they should go close shop or produce other products.

These guys trying to blackmail FG and NAFDAC created an obscene Afenuja generation that took over everywhere!

I believe the sachets are accessible to minors.

And I support Nafdac on the move to ban it.

Nigeria must be sanitised.

But the government should try creating jobs for the audio five million people.

Yekini Amoda fully represented.

Every street here have about 10 dealer. As a Keke and bus driver, this is usually a morning ritual drink

That cheap raw and undiluted ethanol chemicals should be banned. It's unhealthy and deadly.

This is true ooo. But wait? NAFDAC also a point. Yet there is no one million jobs in sight as the deceitful and devil APC party has promised.

I believe this ban will reduce alcohol intake of smaller quantity and increase alcohol intake or larger quantity

FreeStuffsNG:
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.

Thank you NAFDAC. If they can't produce in 200ml and above, they should go close shop or produce other products.

These guys trying to blackmail FG and NAFDAC created an obscene Afenuja generation that took over everywhere!

Thanks for confirming that supporters of Oshiomhole’s Assembly of Past Criminals, APC are unconcerned about worsening unemployment and extreme poverty in their propaganda balablu administration since 2015.

Those who still have doubts about APC wickedness should be clear now that the devilish party has nothing for 200 million Nigerians apart from suffering ayérayé.

anonimi:
The eyesore on Bourdillon Road
2nd January 2025

Beyond his neighbours, there is something about the sight of people hanging around a president’s residence that does not speak well of his leadership capabilities. Maybe no one has nudged him to see it, but the impression that spectacle on Bourdillon Road generates is that Tinubu enjoys the sight of suffering humans and thrives in—and through— their poverty.

If all these years, impoverished people hang around you and you remain comfortable enough to keep them just so they can be handed tokens of your large heart, then it means you have a pro-poverty mindset. Such a frame of mind is oriented toward cultivating poverty rather than stimulating abundance.

That is why he could unproblematically relate the story of his “friend” who went from using five Rolls Royce to a far-less valued car and not consider the import of the nonsense he was saying. That spurious account was an indication that this is a man for whom poverty—of others, not himself—is an ideal.

https://punchng.com/the-eyesore-on-bourdillon-road/

This is a very tricky situation for the country right now.

​On one hand, you have to look at the economic implications. At a time when the cost of living is high and companies are already leaving Nigeria, shutting down an entire sector that employs over 5 million people (directly and indirectly) could be devastating.


These unions have a point, massive job losses usually lead to increased insecurity.

​On the other hand, we can't ignore why NAFDAC and the Senate are pushing for this. The 'sachet culture' has made hard liquor too affordable and accessible to minors and even school children. The environmental impact of these small plastics is also a major issue.

​The middle ground should probably be stricter regulation and enforcement of age limits rather than an outright ban that kills local industries.


If they can regulate big bottles, they should find a way to monitor the distribution of these smaller ones without throwing millions of people into the labor market.

​Both the government and the distillers need to sit down and find a compromise that protects both jobs and public health.

Thw government has shown to be incompetent. It is as simple as ABC. These sachets people are showing us that they have an angle to hold tne government's "blokos".

Imagine illegal and inferior liquir makers in sachets threatening government with increment in unemployment if they are eradicated.

It means the government does not have a plan to give our youths jobs. Lol. Na so na.

insidelife22:
I believe the sachets are accessible to minors.

And I support Nafdac on the move to ban it.

Nigeria must be sanitised.

But the government should try creating jobs for the audio five million people.

Yekini Amoda fully represented.

Nigeria must be sanitized because of your religion Not endorsing alchol but there are evidences of how your prophet consumed so many sheppes, if not How can someone ban adoption just to snatch his son's wife. Must you guys force others to align with your belief system that is half baked but you won't sanitize violence, greed, corruption, chaos, hypocrisy, etc that the religion brought to this planet, train your kids well as written in the bible and you will have a society free of alcohol and drugs period.

With all the problems there is to solve, our government decide to ban sachet and bottle alcohol under 100ml, there are sachet drinks in more civilized nations of the world
how many people can afford the bigger and costlier bottles? Nafdac should put that efforts in tackling fake drugs

The sachet alcohol is a menace to the environment

Ban wetin?

Dem de mad, every tin for this country na to ban

insidelife22:
I believe the sachets are accessible to minors.

And I support Nafdac on the move to ban it.

Nigeria must be sanitised.

But the government should try creating jobs for the audio five million people.

Yekini Amoda fully represented.

Teach a child good morals and he or she will hardly deviate from it.
The onus is on parents to do a better job in raising children. Banning of the sachet drink will do more harm than good, it will make millions jobless.

The 5million jobs should be threatened and lost if possible. Sachet alcohol is an ill that must be crushed

These easily accessible, poisonous, and unregulated drinks are one of the leading contributors to Kidney and liver issues in Nigeria today.

Good riddance to bad rubbish
I call it, "Area Boys Tea."

People will just wake one faithful morning to enforce policy and order without taking the repercussions of their actions into considerations

Between the health of the population and the so-called job creation of distillers, the government has to make a choice.

The ready availability of alcohol is ruining the lives of several people, turning them into bad drivers who are prone to accidents, sexual indiscretion, useless men on the street, mental illness and so on and so forth.

Alcohol should not be that readily available. Moreso, it's not humane or civilized to be drinking alcohol from a satchet.

adenigga:
Source: https://punchng.com/sachet-alcohol-ban-threatens-five-million-jobs-distillers-warn-nafdac

In most countries all over the world, you need to obtain an alcohol license to be able to sell alcohol at the liquor store, why must Nigeria be always different.

These sachet alcohol is every where, alcohol should only be sold at authorized liquor stores

What the heck

Sachet alcohol is a major killer on Nigerian roads because it is widely sold in many motor parks in Nigeria thereby making it easy for drivers to buy alcohol and get drunk easily before driving

Only enemies of Nigeria will be against the ban of sachet alcohol.

Fills up the gutters
Litters the street
Messes up your liver
Does nothing good to you

They should go and find jobs elsewhere.
It is always this emotional blackmail.
If you ban okada, they will come with similar blackmail.
You ban pure water, it is the same thing..
Next should be bet9ja.
They are finishing the youths if this country

bunmioguns:
This is a very tricky situation for the country right now.

​On one hand, you have to look at the economic implications. At a time when the cost of living is high and companies are already leaving Nigeria, shutting down an entire sector that employs over 5 million people (directly and indirectly) could be devastating.


These unions have a point, massive job losses usually lead to increased insecurity.

​On the other hand, we can't ignore why NAFDAC and the Senate are pushing for this. The 'sachet culture' has made hard liquor too affordable and accessible to minors and even school children. The environmental impact of these small plastics is also a major issue.

​The middle ground should probably be stricter regulation and enforcement of age limits rather than an outright ban that kills local industries.


If they can regulate big bottles, they should find a way to monitor the distribution of these smaller ones without throwing millions of people into the labor market.

​Both the government and the distillers need to sit down and find a compromise that protects both jobs and public health.

Very difficult to implement that your take. The best is to ban it. Even road accidents are sometimes caused by alcohol intoxication because this sachet a sold in every motor park

I heard those sachet alcoholic drinks are responsible for why billions of naira are stolen daily from our treasury, by bus drivers, conductors, minors, agberos. Imagine useless people, they left issues of corruption affecting or threatening our existence but talking about sachet drinks.

So because of jobs, people should be allowed to keep drinking poison and constituting nuisance?

Enforce on ban of sachet alcohol million of people livelihood would go down drain and a lot people join unemployment rate and increase abject poverty

APC has failed to realize the only reason sachet alcohol is thriving is because of their bad economic policies that have forced consumers into so much poverty that they can no longer afford properly packed alcohol so distilleries had to come up with miniature packs to save the market...Under Jonathan people never went about but such things because they could afford better packed ones but today even graduates , white collar workers and failed politicians are drinking that stuff everywhere ..The easiest easy to get rid of it will be to improve the purchasing power of Nigerians ... Banning it will lead to the appearance of fake unregulated alcohol trying to fill in the gap with poorly made alcohol which could lead to mass blindness like what happened in East Africa years ago

Why are they complaining?
They were informed five years ago already, of which they agreed. So, is five years time not enough for the workers, having been forewarned, to secure another job?
Serial complaining all over.

Five million jobs ke.
I don't believe it
But alcohol supposed be ban first...!