Operations at the Lagos office of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) were temporarily disrupted on Wednesday, after protesting union members barricaded the agency’s premises in Isolo.
Staff who arrived early for work were locked out as members of the National Union of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Employees sealed both the entrance and exit gates, halting activities at the facility.
The protest centres on NAFDAC’s continued enforcement of its ban on alcoholic beverages sold in sachets and PET bottles below 200 millilitres.
The union is demanding the immediate unsealing of affected factories and production lines, warning that sustained enforcement could trigger significant economic consequences across the beverage industry.
Earlier this month, union members picketed the Lagos NAFDAC office, accusing the agency of refusing to comply with what they described as a Federal Government directive to suspend enforcement of the ban on sachet alcohol production and sales.
According to the union, directives were issued by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the Office of the National Security Adviser instructing that enforcement be suspended and sealed production lines reopened.
However, NAFDAC dismissed the claims, insisting it had not received any official communication from the Federal Government directing it to halt enforcement of the policy.
Police officers were later deployed to the Isolo premises as tensions rose.
The barricade was eventually lifted, allowing NAFDAC staff to regain access to the office and resume operations.
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