Protests escalated on Thursday as members of the Food, Beverage and Tobacco Senior Staff Association pressed on with their action against the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control over the enforcement of the sachet alcohol ban.

The workers, who blocked the gate of NAFDAC’s Lagos office, accused the agency of ignoring what they called joint Federal Government directives to suspend enforcement until the full implementation of the National Alcohol Policy.

NAFDAC, however, rejected the allegations, insisting that reports claiming it was directed to suspend enforcement are unverified and constitute misinformation misrepresenting the government’s position.

The agency stated that it has not received any formal directive to halt its regulatory activities and reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding public health.

Speaking to the protesters, Comrade National Vice President of FOBTOB West,
Kolawole Buhari, cautioned that the continued closure of factories and depots could lead to widespread job losses across the industry. He estimated that enforcement measures put around 5.5 million jobs at risk if they persist.

“”This action threatens 5.5 million jobs. It is against the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. When jobs are lost, the same children the government says it wants to protect will be pushed onto the streets,” Buhari said.

Also addressing the protesters, the National Deputy President of FOBTOB,
Comrade Lanre Yusuf, criticized the NAFDAC Director-General’s position as being at odds with the Federal Government’s stance.

He asserted that the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the Office of the National Security Adviser had issued a joint directive recommending a pause in enforcement actions.

“The Federal Government, through the SGF and the Office of the National Security Adviser, has given a directive. The Director-General should respect that directive and immediately reopen all factories and depots that were sealed,” Yusuf stated.

The controversy arose following a clarification from Terrence Kuanum, Special Adviser on Public Affairs to the SGF, stating that although the National Alcohol Policy had been approved by the Federal Ministry of Health under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s directive, regulatory enforcement measures—such as sealing factories—should be suspended until the policy is fully implemented.