Manufacturers urge FG, NAFDAC to reverse ban on sachet alcoholic beverages

The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has called on the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to rescind the recent directive banning the production and sale of alcoholic beverages in sachets and small PET bottles by December 31, 2025.

This directive followed a resolution reported to have been passed by the Senate at its sitting on Thursday, 6 November 2025.

Director-General of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Segun Ajayi-Kadir, has expressed shock and concern in a statement, noting that this unexpected development contradicts all stakeholders’ efforts on the matter and is completely at variance with the subsisting position of the House of Representatives.

He explained that the earlier directive for a one-year extension by the Ministry of Health, which culminated in the consideration and validation of the draft National Alcohol Policy by stakeholders, should have been considered before any major official pronouncement by another arm of government.

He lamented that stakeholders’ consultation, either through a public hearing or focused meetings with relevant industry players, should have been called by the relevant Senate Committee before a ban was ordered.

“This was the route that was painstakingly followed by the House of Representatives in the recent past,” DG MAN said.

Ajayi-Kadir underscored that issues concerning the ban on alcohol in sachets and small PET bottles were resolved by an enlarged committee comprising all stakeholders and NAFDAC representatives, who validated the National Alcohol Policy in October 2025 and recommended instead multi-sectoral action plans, tightening of enforcement by law enforcement agencies, the establishment of licensed liquor stores/outlets in Local Government Areas (LGAs) across the country, and increased monitoring and compliance checks by NAFDAC, FCCPC, and others to ensure strict product quality in terms of content and safety.

Other steps agreed, he stated includes ensuring that the regulatory bodies place more emphasis on regulation, monitoring, and public education to raise awareness of the dangers of underage consumption and sales of alcohol in motor parks, as well as campaigns in secondary schools to educate students on the dangers and vices associated with the abuse of alcohol.

He affirmed that the unfounded and untested claim of abuse by minors has been dismissed by research independently conducted by the government.

“We went further, notwithstanding the report of the surveys, to initiate a series of campaigns on responsible alcohol consumption in order to discourage underage abuse. These campaigns have necessitated an industry spend of over a billion Naira in advertisements at all levels of media outreach across the federation and have been very impactful in discouraging abuse by underage persons,” he said.

Ajayi-Kadir described the ban as unfair and contrary to industry practice, adding that the Senate only considered the opinion of NAFDAC, which had been part of the validation organised by its supervisory Ministry, the Ministry of Health.

“It is our position that NAFDAC should have presented its opinion to the Committee and the Ministry during the validation, rather than bypassing these processes and approaching the National Assembly without giving other stakeholders the opportunity to be consulted or to respond,” he added.

He warned that the ban is counterproductive and forebodes economic dislocation of significant proportions and will lead to serious consequences, including the loss of over N1.9 trillion in investment, mass retrenchment of over 500,000 direct employees and over five million indirect, through contracts, marketing, and other logistics, reduction in manufacturing capacity utilisation, as well as loss of indigenous businesses.

In addition to these heavy losses, he noted that a ban would open a channel for illicit and unwholesome substances that are not subject to regulation and beyond the control of relevant agencies.

“Moreso, a ban would also literally open the market to the influx of foreign brands, which are mostly smuggled. Apart from possible unwholesomeness, this will be at the expense of domestic producers and result in loss of government revenue,” he warned.

DG MAN appealed for accelerated endorsement and implementation of the validated Nigeria National Alcohol Policy and its multi-sectoral implementation framework, adding that this will render the unwarranted ban unnecessary.

He also urged the Senate to rescind the ban and restrain NAFDAC from implementing it from 31 December 2025, adding “We should be mindful of the economic implications of unnecessary, sudden regulatory shifts that could have significant implications for legitimate manufacturers, thousands of employees, and informal value-chain operators across the country.”

Ajayi-Kadir said “MAN has always supported measures that remove unsafe products from the market. We have only maintained that such decisions should be supported by empirical facts and not by emotional persuasions or appeals to public sentiment. To succumb to these scenarios is a costly mistake, as it compromises jobs, livelihoods, and triggers other unintended consequences. MAN recommits to working closely with our members engaged in the production of alcoholic beverages in sachets to adhere to all regulations and standards. We are actively involved in monitoring their public campaigns and efforts to ensure restricted access, prevention of sale to the underage, and responsible consumption.”