The Executive Secretary of the Food, Beverages and Tobacco Senior Staff Association, Solomon Adebosin, has called on the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to engage industry stakeholders in dialogue following the enforcement of its ban on alcohol sold in sachets and PET bottles below 200ml.
Speaking on televised programme on Tuesday, Adebosin warned that the policy, which took effect on January 21, 2026, could have far-reaching consequences for indigenous manufacturers, employment, and investor confidence if implemented without adequate consultation.
NAFDAC had earlier announced on November 11, 2025, that it would enforce a total ban on the affected products by December 2025, acting on a directive from the Senate.
Enforcement was initially suspended by the Federal Government to allow for consultations with stakeholders.
However, the Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, later disclosed that the agency had received a fresh order from the Senate to proceed with the ban.
According to her, the measure is aimed at protecting public health and shielding vulnerable groups, particularly children, adolescents, and young adults, from harmful alcohol consumption.
Adebosin, however, questioned the approach, arguing that sachet alcohol products serve economic and social functions in the current Nigerian economy.
“Now the claim is that it’s been in sachet, it becomes very accessible, but the idea of products coming in sachet is because of the way the economy in Nigeria is now,” he said. “We have something for ourselves to be a sachet economy in most of the things that we have because of affordability.”
He further argued that smaller packaging promotes moderation rather than abuse.
“It also helps in ensuring moderation, because when you just have it in bits, you take it and then you’re okay,” Adebosin said. “What we always talk about and advocate for is drink responsibly, drink in moderation.”
“And so when it is in this form, it becomes easy for someone to just take, you know, one sachet and then you’re okay, rather than having a big volume that you now be taking and taking and now, you know, go overboard,” he added.
Beyond consumption concerns, Adebosin expressed fears over the impact of the ban on local manufacturing and jobs.
“The challenge we have is that when you come against products like this, which are made by indigenous Nigerians, we are looking at the issue of employment,” he said. “By shutting it down, you’re going to be affecting that.”
He also warned that the policy could send negative signals to foreign investors.
“When foreign direct investors see the way local investors are being treated, it’s not going to encourage them to say they want to come and now invest in Nigeria,” Adebosin stated.
Calling for a rethink, the union leader urged NAFDAC to consider alternative solutions through engagement rather than outright prohibition.
“We can have a dialogue on this. We can look at different ways of solving this issue,” he said. “The issue should not just be ban… We should not be thinking of ban as the first response.”
About the Author
