- Workers in the food and beverage sector protested repeatedly at the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control office in Lagos
- Labour unions warned that factory closures linked to the policy had threatened millions of jobs and worsened economic pressure on workers and manufacturers
- Union leaders called on the Federal Government of Nigeria to intervene, citing concerns over public safety and revenue losses
Labour unions in Nigeria’s food and beverage industry have raised alarm over possible large-scale job losses as workers again protested at the Lagos office of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control.
The demonstration followed continued enforcement of the ban on sachet alcohol and PET bottles below 200 millilitres.
Source: Original
For the fifth time in 2026, distillers operating under the Food, Beverage and Tobacco Senior Staff Association gathered at the NAFDAC office along the Oshodi Apapa Expressway.
They appealed to the federal government of Nigeria to step in, warning that factory closures linked to the ban were threatening millions of jobs across the value chain.
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Workers protest repeated factory closures
Both junior and senior workers assembled at the entrance of the agency’s premises. Protesters sang solidarity songs and displayed placards with messages such as “Tinubu does not want jobs to be lost” and “5.5 million jobs at risk.”
Union leaders said the sealing of factories accused of violating the policy had slowed production and left many households facing financial strain.
Labour representatives said the protests were not an attempt to reject regulation. They said workers wanted clearer guidelines and engagement that would protect public health without shutting down lawful businesses.
Source: Original
Labour warns of wider economic risks
National President of FOBTOB, Jimoh Oyibo, cautioned that sustained closures could encourage unsafe practices within the sector.
He said:
“Once you stop licensed manufacturers from producing approved products, you create space for unregulated and dangerous alternatives.”
Oyibo added that the issue went beyond employment, citing risks to public safety, government revenue and investor confidence.
Also addressing the workers, Secretary of the National Union of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Employees, Comrade Jeffery Igein, questioned the timing of the enforcement. He said the national alcohol policy had already been approved.
“The alcohol policy has been signed. Therefore, NAFDAC should have lifted restrictions on these factories,” he stated.
Igein said the action placed extra pressure on manufacturers at a time when economic conditions were already difficult.
Conflicting positions deepen uncertainty
Labour leaders said similar demonstrations were taking place in Abuja and Aba. They described the protests as part of a growing nationwide push for dialogue.
Some workers claimed the Federal Government had directed a pause in enforcement.
NAFDAC Director General, Mojisola Adeyeye, has said no official directive to suspend enforcement had been received by the agency.
With no resolution in sight, unions said they would continue appealing to authorities. They warned that prolonged shutdowns could deepen unemployment and worsen economic pressure across the country.
NAFDAC’s Sachet Alcohol Ban Sparks Concerns
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the Director General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration (NAFDAC), Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, had been accused of a sinister Agenda to kill indigenous-owned industries producing wines and spirits.
The Food, Beverage, and Tobacco Senior Staff Association claimed over 5 million jobs and 3 trillion in investment are in danger of being lost following the ban on alcohol in Sachet policy.
Source: Legit.ng