Members of the National Union of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Employees (NUFBTE) on Wednesday occupied the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) office complex in Isolo, Lagos, protesting the agency’s continued enforcement of the nationwide ban on alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles.
The union accused NAFDAC of defying what it described as a Federal Government directive to suspend enforcement of the prohibition.
Protesters called on the agency to immediately unseal production lines that had been shut down following the implementation of the ban.
NUFBTE claimed the directive to suspend enforcement was issued by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the Office of the National Security Adviser, though no official documentation was publicly presented at the protest.
The demonstration follows NAFDAC’s recent rollout of the nationwide ban on the production and sale of sachet and PET-bottled alcohol, a policy the agency says is aimed at curbing abuse, protecting public health and regulating access to high-risk alcoholic products.
However, in a statement issued on Wednesday, NAFDAC firmly denied reports circulating on social media suggesting that it had been ordered to halt enforcement of the ban.
The statement, signed by the Director-General of the agency, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, described the reports as “false” and “misleading,” stressing that no such directive had been received from the Federal Government.
“NAFDAC operates strictly within the ambit of its statutory mandate and in alignment with duly communicated Federal Government policies and directives,” the statement read.
“At no time has the Agency received any formal directive ordering the suspension of its regulatory or enforcement activities in respect of sachet alcohol products.”
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The agency reaffirmed its commitment to public health protection and regulatory compliance, adding that any significant policy shift would be communicated through official government channels.
“NAFDAC urges members of the public, industry stakeholders, and the media to disregard the false report and rely only on verified information issued through the Agency’s official platforms and authorised government communication channels,” the statement added.
The agency also warned that the spread of unverified claims could fuel unnecessary public anxiety, create economic uncertainty and distort public understanding of government policy.
As tensions persist between regulators and industry workers, the situation highlights the delicate balance between public health enforcement and economic concerns, particularly for workers and manufacturers directly affected by the policy.