Food, Beverage, and Tobacco Senior Staff Association (FOBTOB) has warned that Nigeria risks losing more than N2 trillion in investments if the ban on sachet alcoholic drinks and alcoholic beverages in PET or glass bottles below 200ml is enforced by December 31.
The union urged the federal government to reverse the planned ban, cautioning that the Senate’s directive to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) would trigger severe socioeconomic consequences across the industry.
Speaking at a press conference in Lagos, the President of FOBTOB, Jimoh Oyibo, said repealing the directive would prevent massive job losses and protect the country from economic disruption.
“Repealing the order would avert the grave repercussions that would most definitely follow the ban, especially by saving approximately 5.5 million jobs, both direct and indirect,” he said.
Oyibo appealed to the Senate to invite stakeholders to a public hearing, insisting that all parties must be allowed to present their positions before any decision is made.
“For a fair hearing and to demonstrate good faith, the Senate should invite relevant stakeholders to a Public Hearing to ‘hear the other side’ and be adequately informed to make an informed decision,” he said.
He recalled that a similar ban imposed by NAFDAC last year was suspended after labour protests and a public hearing organised by the House of Representatives, during which all stakeholders, including NAFDAC, made submissions that led to a directive for the agency to engage manufacturers and review its approach.
Oyibo explained that the Ministry of Health later granted a one-year extension to allow for the development of a comprehensive National Alcohol Policy. According to him, the policy was validated in October 2025, with NAFDAC actively involved.
The union leader urged the Senate to carefully review and endorse the validated National Alcohol Policy, describing it as a multi-sectoral framework developed after last year’s public hearing, when the initial call for the ban was raised.
(The Nation)
