A coalition of consumer rights advocates staged a protest on Monday at the Lagos office of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), vehemently opposing the agency’s planned enforcement of a ban on alcoholic beverages in sachet packets.
The demonstration, led by the Coalition for the Protection of Consumers’ Rights (CPCR), follows NAFDAC’s recent announcement to crack down on the production and sale of sachet alcohol. Protesters called the policy economically destructive and warned it would lead to massive job losses across the manufacturing and retail sectors.
Addressing the crowd, CPCR spokesperson Olufemi Lawson condemned the move as a “draconian, economically insensitive and poorly thought out” action that contradicts federal efforts to tackle unemployment.
He argued that the ban unfairly targets products that were legally approved by NAFDAC itself.“These products were duly tested, registered and approved by the agency,” Lawson stated. “The issue of underage drinking is a regulatory and enforcement failure, not a product crime.”The coalition rejected NAFDAC’s primary arguments for the ban. They disputed claims about excessively high alcohol content, stating licensed distilleries adhere to international standards, and countered environmental concerns by noting sachet packaging is commonplace for water and detergents.
Protesters carried placards with messages such as “Suspend the Sachet Alcohol Ban” and “Save Jobs, Save Livelihoods.” They called for the immediate suspension of the enforcement, the reopening of any sealed factories, and the start of inclusive stakeholder dialogue.The group issued a direct appeal to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the National Assembly to intervene, threatening to escalate to nationwide protests if their demands are not met.
NAFDAC officials at the Lagos office did not address the protesters. The agency had not issued an official response to the demonstration at the time of this report.
