Industrial tension heightened on Thursday as members of the Food, Beverage and Tobacco Senior Staff Association (FOBTOB) intensified protests against the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control ( NAFDAC) over the continued enforcement of the ban on sachet alcohol products.
The protesters barricaded the Lagos office of the agency, accusing NAFDAC of defying what they described as a joint Federal Government directive to suspend enforcement actions pending the full implementation of the National Alcohol Policy.
Union leaders claimed that the alleged directive was intended to prevent economic disruption while broader regulatory and security considerations are addressed.
In response, NAFDAC firmly rejected the claims, stating that reports suggesting it had been ordered to halt enforcement were unverified and amounted to misinformation and misrepresentation of the Federal Government’s position.
The agency maintained that it has received no formal or written directive instructing it to suspend its regulatory actions and emphasized that it remains committed to its statutory mandate of protecting public health and ensuring product safety.
Addressing the protesters at the scene, Comrade Kolawole Buhari, National Vice President of FOBTOB (West), warned that the sustained sealing of factories and distribution depots could have severe economic consequences.
He said the enforcement actions threaten livelihoods across the production, distribution, and retail value chain, with an estimated 5.5 million jobs potentially at risk.
“This action endangers about 5.5 million jobs and contradicts the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, When jobs are lost, the same young people the government seeks to protect will be exposed to greater social and economic risks.” Buhari said.
Also speaking, Comrade Lanre Yusuf, National Deputy President of FOBTOB, argued that the stance of the NAFDAC Director-General runs counter to what he described as the position of the Federal Government.
He claimed that both the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) had issued a joint advisory recommending a pause in enforcement to allow for broader stakeholder engagement.
“The Federal Government, through the SGF and the Office of the National Security Adviser, has advised that enforcement be put on hold, “The Director-General should respect that directive and immediately order the reopening of all sealed factories and depots.” Yusuf said.
As the standoff continues, industry stakeholders and labour leaders have warned that failure to urgently clarify the government’s position and harmonise regulatory actions could deepen industrial unrest, disrupt supply chains, and compound economic uncertainty within the food and beverage sector.