Union Shuts Down NAFDAC Lagos Office Over Sachet Alcohol Ban

Operations at the Lagos office of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) were temporarily paralysed on Wednesday as members of the National Union of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Employees barricaded the agency’s premises in Isolo in protest against the enforcement of the ban on sachet and small-sized alcoholic beverages.

Staff who arrived early to resume duty were denied entry after union members blocked both the entrance and exit gates of the facility, effectively halting official activities for several hours.

The protest stems from NAFDAC’s continued enforcement of its prohibition on the production and sale of alcoholic drinks packaged in sachets and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles below 200 millilitres.

The union argues that the sustained implementation of the policy has led to the sealing of factories and production lines, with far-reaching implications for jobs and investments within the food and beverage sector.

Union leaders are demanding the immediate unsealing of affected facilities, warning that failure to suspend enforcement could trigger significant economic consequences across the industry.

Members of the National Union of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Employees protesting at NAFDAC office in Lagos.

Earlier this month, the union had similarly picketed the agency’s Lagos office, accusing NAFDAC of disregarding what it described as a Federal Government directive to suspend enforcement of the ban.

According to the union, communications from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the Office of the National Security Adviser called for a halt to enforcement activities and the reopening of sealed production lines.

However, NAFDAC has firmly denied receiving any official instruction to suspend the policy, maintaining that enforcement remains in effect.

Police officers were later deployed to the Isolo premises as tensions heightened. The barricade was subsequently lifted, allowing staff to return to their offices and restoring access to the complex.

Representatives of NAFDAC’s Director-General later engaged the protesting workers in closed-door discussions alongside a director within the agency and the Special Assistant to the Director-General.

The talks, however, ended without resolution, as union leaders insisted that their agitation would continue.

The protesters are urging the agency to reconsider what they describe as rigid enforcement of the ban. Instead, they propose stricter regulation of access to alcoholic beverages particularly measures to prevent sales to minors alongside intensified public awareness campaigns on responsible consumption.

As of press time, union members remained at the premises, vowing to sustain their protest until their demands are addressed.