Updated: Sachet alcohol ban sparks fresh protests as workers threaten nationwide action

Workers in companies producing sachet alcohol, alongside civil society organisations, have renewed opposition to the ban on sachet alcoholic beverages and PET bottles below 200ml, warning that they may embark on a nationwide protest if the policy is not reversed.

The warning was issued on Monday when the workers stormed the Lagos office of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) along the Oshodi–Apapa Expressway, just three days after an earlier demonstration.

The protesting workers, under the aegis of the Food, Beverages and Tobacco Senior Staff Association (FOBTOB) and the National Union of Food, Beverages and Tobacco Employees (NUFBTE), said the ban has disrupted operations across the sector and placed millions of jobs at risk.

They warned that no fewer than five million Nigerians could be affected directly and indirectly if the ban remains in force.

Following the protest on Friday, NAFDAC’s Director-General, Mojisola Adeyeye, met with leaders of the unions but maintained that the ban would stand unless there is a change in the existing legislation.

At Monday’s protest, workers were joined by members of the Coalition for the Protection of Consumers’ Rights. The protesters carried placards and sang solidarity songs while demanding an immediate reversal of the policy.

Speaking to journalists, the National President of FOBTOB, Oyibo Jimoh, said discussions with the House of Representatives were ongoing to develop a national alcohol policy that would accommodate the interests of all stakeholders without resorting to an outright ban.

Jimoh accused NAFDAC of disregarding the Federal Government’s position by sealing factories while policy deliberations were still ongoing. He also dismissed claims by the NAFDAC Director-General about the alcohol content of sachet beverages, describing them as misleading.

He added that labour unions were excluded from the Senate discussions that preceded the closure of factories, insisting that workers would continue to resist the ban until their demands were addressed.

Also speaking, the Head of the Brewery and Tobacco Department at NUFBTE, Azeez Rasaq, said the union was prepared to escalate its action by mobilising workers across the country.

“There may come a time when we will approach the central labour unions, both the TUC and NLC,” Rasaq said. “They cannot watch 5.5 million Nigerians lose their jobs and remain silent. If the government continues to ignore our calls, a nationwide protest is very possible.”

Representing civil society organisations, Declan Ihekaira described the ban as an attempt to deny low-income earners access to alcoholic beverages, warning that it infringes on consumers’ rights. He said CSOs would mobilise their members nationwide if the policy is not reversed.

One of the affected workers, Biodun Adeyemi, said he was ready to join a nationwide protest, stressing that job losses would have far-reaching consequences for families and dependants.

“I have a family that depends on my income, including extended family members. You can imagine the multiplier effect of this decision,” he said. “If taking to the streets is the only language the authorities understand, then we are ready.”

The Chairman of FOBTOB in Lagos State, Olamiye Somefun, said the unions would take their protest to Abuja and the National Assembly if necessary.

“Our next option is to march to the National Assembly to make our lawmakers hear our grievances,” he said, adding that the unions were questioning whether the NAFDAC leadership was acting in line with President Bola Tinubu’s promise to improve the welfare of Nigerians.