The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has urged the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to exercise restraint over its renewed ban on sachet alcoholic beverages, warning that the move is disrupting businesses and threatening jobs in the wines and spirits sector.
In a statement, MAN Director-General Segun Ajayi-Kadir said the ban contradicts a Federal Government directive suspending its implementation and would hurt the economy by undermining indigenous manufacturers, reducing government revenue, and exposing the market to illicit and smuggled products. He cautioned that the policy could worsen unemployment across the value chain and deny low-income adult consumers access to regulated products.
Ajayi-Kadir also noted that the action runs counter to a March 2024 House of Representatives resolution, reached after stakeholder consultations, which restrained NAFDAC from banning sachet and PET-bottled alcohol. He said MAN has engaged the Senate to seek clarity, warning that conflicting directives are creating uncertainty for operators.
The MAN chief added that sachet alcohol was introduced to meet consumer demand in smaller, affordable quantities and is produced under hygienic conditions certified by regulators, including NAFDAC. He said claims linking the products to underage abuse are not supported by empirical research, stressing that manufacturers have invested over ₦1 billion in campaigns promoting responsible consumption. MAN called on the Federal Government to prevail on NAFDAC to halt enforcement of the ban and adhere to the suspension directive.
