Tension over the federal ban on the manufacture and sale of sachet alcoholic beverages escalated on Friday as members of the Distillers and Blenders Association of Nigeria staged a protest at the Lagos State office of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).
The protest, which drew support from organised labour, saw members of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) join the distillers in a public demonstration against the policy, which stakeholders say threatens investments, jobs, and local manufacturing.
Protesters were seen carrying placards and chanting solidarity songs, calling on regulators and the federal government to reconsider the ban and engage industry players.
Some of the placards bore inscriptions such as “Stop destroying local manufacturers,” “N2 trillion investment deserves protection,” “5.5 million Nigerians cannot be pushed to the streets,” and “The Renewed Hope Agenda must work for all Nigerians,” among others.
The demonstration highlights growing concern within the alcohol manufacturing value chain, where operators argue that the sachet segment supports millions of direct and indirect jobs, including distributors, retailers, and transport workers.
As of the time of filing this report, representatives of the Distillers and Blenders Association of Nigeria had not addressed the press. Similarly, no official statement had been issued by NAFDAC in response to the protest.
The protest is believed to stem from ongoing disagreements over the implementation of the sachet alcohol ban, with industry stakeholders and labour unions insisting that the policy could have far-reaching economic and social consequences if not reviewed.
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