Distillers on Tuesday barricaded the Lagos office of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) in protest against the enforcement of the sachet alcohol ban.
The protesters, operating under the aegis of the Food, Beverage and Tobacco Senior Staff Association, blocked the entrance to the agency’s office along the Oshodi-Apapa Expressway, preventing vehicles from accessing the premises.
They accused the regulator of sealing companies following the enforcement of a ban on alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles below 200ml.
Placards displayed during the protest carried messages such as: “Tinubu does not want jobs to be lost,” “Stop destroying local manufacturers,” and “NAFDAC should release products put on hold.”
The demonstrators also sang solidarity songs as they maintained their blockade of the complex.
The protest comes weeks after the Distillers and Blenders Association of Nigeria picketed the agency over the same policy. That earlier action received backing from the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria.
NAFDAC had earlier announced the commencement of nationwide enforcement targeting the production and sale of alcohol in sachets and small PET bottles under 200ml.
However, the agency denied shutting down alcohol-producing companies, stating: “The agency did not close down any company that makes alcohol. The agency only banned alcohol in sachets and small containers less than 200ml.”
The situation has further escalated tensions between regulators and manufacturers, with industry players warning of potential job losses and uncertainty surrounding the future of small-scale alcohol production in Nigeria.
