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| Alcohol. |
Organised Labour in the food and beverage industry has issued a strong warning about the serious economic and social fallout that could result from the Senate’s instruction to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, to enforce a nationwide ban on alcoholic drinks sold in sachets and PET or glass bottles under 200ml from 31 December 2025.
Speaking under the Food, Beverage and Tobacco Senior Staff Association, FOBTOB, the group cautioned that the Senate’s directive could eliminate millions of jobs and cripple local production companies already struggling in Nigeria’s harsh economic climate.
During a press briefing in Lagos, FOBTOB President, Jimoh Oyibo, said workers throughout the industry were living in fear, stressing that the impact of the ban—if allowed to stand—would be “far-reaching, devastating and irreversible.”
He recalled that NAFDAC had previously attempted a similar ban last year, but the move was suspended after Labour actions and a Public Hearing organised by the House of Representatives. In that process, all stakeholders, including NAFDAC, presented their positions, leading to a resolution instructing the agency to work with manufacturers and reassess its method.
He explained that the Ministry of Health later granted a one-year extension to allow all concerned parties to create a full National Alcohol Policy.
That policy was validated in October 2025, with NAFDAC taking part in the drafting and review process.
Oyibo declared: “It is troubling that the same NAFDAC has now approached the Senate, resulting in a unilateral directive that did not follow due process and did not give stakeholders a fair hearing.”
According to FOBTOB, the enforcement of the ban places at risk the livelihoods of more than 500,000 direct employees and around five million indirect workers, including distributors, transporters, farmers and marketers.
The Association further warned that “nearly N2 trillion worth of investments in machinery and raw materials could be lost. Indigenous Nigerian manufacturers risk total collapse, discouraging future investments. Smuggling and the circulation of unregulated alcoholic products may skyrocket, worsening public-health dangers. Government tax revenue could decline sharply as factories shut down or scale back operations.”
It stressed that with unemployment rising and no effective social safety systems, such a ban could plunge entire families into hardship, noting that the children the policy claims to protect may end up out of school if their parents become jobless.
FOBTOB called on the Senate to withdraw its directive immediately and organise a comprehensive Public Hearing so that manufacturers, workers’ unions, regulators and health experts can be heard.
The union further appealed for the adoption of the validated National Alcohol Policy, which promotes regulated alcohol sales, improved enforcement, nationwide sensitisation campaigns and school-based awareness education, instead of outright prohibition.
Oyibo noted that FOBTOB is fully committed to ensuring manufacturers comply with all safety and quality standards.
However, he insisted that government actions must not destroy legitimate businesses or penalise workers who are contributing to the country’s growth.
He added: “As the saying goes, the mother hen must live to raise her chicks. Employers should be supported, not forced out of business.”
With the December deadline approaching, fear continues to spread across the sector, as millions of workers await clarity on a policy many believe could worsen unemployment and destabilise an already fragile economy.
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