Millions of jobs at risk as workers protest sachet alcohol ban

Employees of companies that produce sachet alcohol, along with some civil society groups, have warned they may stage a nationwide protest if the government does not reverse its ban on sachet alcohol and PET bottles smaller than 200ml.

The warning came on Monday when the workers protested at the Lagos office of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) along the Oshodi-Apapa Expressway. This was three days after their last demonstration.

The protests are being led by employees under the Food, Beverages, and Tobacco Senior Staff Association (FOBTOB) and the National Union of Food, Beverages, and Tobacco Employees (NUFBTE).

They say the ban could affect up to five million Nigerians, both directly and indirectly.

Despite talks with NAFDAC, the agency’s Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, said the ban would stay until the law changes.

During Monday’s protest, workers carried placards and sang songs of solidarity. FOBTOB National President, Oyibo Jimoh, said the unions were trying to work with the House of Representatives to create a national alcohol policy that would protect all stakeholders without banning sachet alcohol outright. He accused NAFDAC of sealing factories prematurely.

Azeez Rasaq, NUFBTE’s Brewery and Tobacco Head, said they would not hesitate to involve central labor unions like the TUC and NLC if the government ignores them, warning of a possible nationwide protest.

Declan Ihekaira, speaking for civil society organizations, argued that the ban limits low-income earners’ access to alcohol and violates consumer rights.

Workers, including Biodun Adeyemi, emphasized that losing their jobs would affect their families and said protests may be necessary to draw attention to their plight.

Lagos State FOBTOB Chairman, Olamiye Somefun, said the next step would be to take their demands to the National Assembly if the ban is not lifted.

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