By Peter.
The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has fired a stern warning against the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC)‘s impending ban on sachet and small PET bottle alcoholic beverages, set for December 31, 2025, projecting a devastating hit to the economy: over N1.9 trillion in investments and 5.5 million jobs at risk.
MAN’s Director-General, Segun Ajayi-Kadir, labeled the directive a “unfair and against the run of play,” arguing it would gut indigenous firms and derail the sector’s fragile recovery. In a Wednesday statement, he broke down the fallout:
“This pronouncement will result in a loss of over N1.9tn investment, largely by indigenous Nigerian companies, a consequential mass retrenchment of over 500,000 direct employees and approximately five million indirect employees through contracts, marketing, and other logistics.”
Ajayi-Kadir slammed the ban as a betrayal of October 2025’s multi-stakeholder validation of the draft National Alcohol Policy, where NAFDAC and others agreed on “progressive alternatives” like tougher enforcement, outlet licensing, monitoring, and anti-underage campaigns—not a blanket prohibition.
He criticized the Senate’s swift endorsement of NAFDAC’s stance without public hearings or broader input, contrasting it with the House of Representatives’ call for a one-year extension and consultations. Dismissing abuse claims, Ajayi-Kadir cited government studies showing no widespread minor misuse and highlighted MAN’s N1bn+ spend on responsible-drinking ads.
The ban, he cautioned, risks spawning a black market of unregulated, hazardous booze, eroding adult consumer choices for affordable options while boosting smuggled imports.
“Once there is an established appetite for a product and it is not illegal, effective control and regulation are the most sustainable ways to manage access, not prohibition.”
Ajayi-Kadir urged the Senate to reverse the order, NAFDAC to pause enforcement, and all to fast-track the validated policy for evidence-based safeguards.
NAFDAC’s DG, Mojisola Adeyeye, defended the crackdown Tuesday, citing sachet drinks’ role in youth addiction, concealability, and links to violence, accidents, dropouts, and social ills among minors and drivers.
MAN vows support for public health but insists actions must hinge on “empirical evidence, not emotional persuasion.”
#SachetBan #NAFDAC #MANNigeria #AlcoholPolicy #EconomicImpact #NigerianManufacturing #PublicHealth
