Members of the Coalition of Unemployed People in Nigeria on Tuesday staged a protest at the headquarters of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) in Abuja, condemning the agency’s reported move to commence enforcement of a ban on sachet alcoholic beverages.
Addressing journalists at the protest ground, the coalition described the action attributed to the Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, as “vexatious, ill-timed and anti-people,” warning that it could worsen unemployment and economic hardship across the country.
In a statement read by its spokesperson, Princess Mimi Peter Esq., the group said the alleged enforcement announcement contradicts the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, especially at a time when the country is grappling with high unemployment, inflation, and economic instability.
The coalition accused NAFDAC of selective morality and regulatory inconsistency, arguing that sachet alcohol products currently in the market were duly tested, registered and approved by the agency.
“For the avoidance of doubt, no licensed distillery in Nigeria produces sachet alcohol with 50, 70 or 90 per cent alcohol content, as claimed,” the group said.
“Standard products such as gin, schnapps, rum and bitters fall within internationally accepted alcohol limits and are clearly labelled and verified during NAFDAC registration.”
According to the protesters, if the products are now being branded dangerous, it raises serious questions about NAFDAC’s own regulatory competence and integrity.
The group also faulted claims that sachet alcohol fuels underage drinking, insisting that the problem lies with weak enforcement and retail monitoring rather than container size. They argued that banning sachets on affordability grounds would imply banning single-stick cigarettes, single-dose drugs and other low-cost consumer products.
On environmental concerns, the coalition said sachet packaging cuts across several industries, including water, milk and detergents, stressing that improved waste management, not prohibition, should be the focus.
They further accused the agency of neglecting more pressing threats to Nigerian youths, including the abuse of tramadol, codeine mixtures and other psychoactive substances, while singling out alcohol as a scapegoat.
Warning of the economic implications, the protesters said a sustained ban would cripple the distillery industry, leading to thousands of job losses across manufacturing, distribution, transportation, retail and agriculture, and potentially worsening crime and social instability.
The coalition therefore called for the immediate suspension of the sachet alcohol ban, reopening of sealed factories and the commencement of broad stakeholder consultations.
“We do not oppose regulation,” the group said. “What we oppose is emotional policymaking, regulatory arrogance, scientific inconsistency and economic insensitivity.”
The coalition also warned that failure to address their demands could result in mass protests across the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory.