Members of the Food, Beverage, and Tobacco Senior Staff Association, FOBTOB, yesterday, staged a protest outside the Lagos office of the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, demanding the suspension of the sachet alcohol ban.
The protesting workers, largely from distiller companies affected by the ban, demanded the immediate release of products allegedly held by NAFDAC and the reopening of factories and depots sealed during recent enforcement operations. Chanting solidarity songs and carrying placards, the workers 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.
According to the protesters, NAFDAC Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, should comply with federal directives ordering a suspension of sachet alcohol ban enforcement pending further clarification. Industry stakeholders argued that continued enforcement, including sealing facilities, contradicted the spirit of the SGF’s clarification, leading to economic losses, job disruptions, and potential hardship on workers.
As of press time, there were no reports of violence, though security presence around the NAFDAC office was heightened. Efforts to mediate between the workers’ union and the regulatory agency were ongoing.
No directive to halt enforcement
In a swift reaction, NAFDAC denied reports claiming that the Federal Government directed it to suspend enforcement actions against sachet alcohol and 200ml PET-bottled alcoholic products, describing the publications as “false and misleading.”
In a statement by Director-General Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, the agency said it had not received any formal communication from the Federal Government ordering a halt to its regulatory activities concerning sachet alcohol products. “The said publication is false, misleading, and does not reflect any official communication received by the Agency from the Federal Government,” NAFDAC stated.
The agency stressed that it operates strictly within its statutory mandate and in alignment with duly communicated government policies and directives, noting that enforcement actions remain guided by existing laws and regulatory frameworks.