The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has expressed concerns over the recent directive issued by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to outrightly ban the production and sale of alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets and small PET bottles as it is a setback to prior stakeholder agreement and a threat to local industry.
In a statement issued by Director-General, Segun Ajayi-Kadir, MAN criticised the ban scheduled to take effect on December 31, 2025, saying it contradicts a jointly validated National Alcohol Policy endorsed in October by all key stakeholders, including NAFDAC and the Federal Ministry of Health.
The association argued that the Senate’s resolution, passed on November 6, 2025, overlooked this consensus and failed to consult affected industry players.
Ajayi-Kadir said the earlier Ministry of Health directive granting a one-year extension for the phase-out of sachet alcohol should have guided the Senate’s decision.
“A stakeholders’ consultation, as previously done by the House of Representatives, ought to have preceded any ban,” he stated, warning that the move risks derailing progress made through the policy’s multi-sectoral framework focused on enforcement, monitoring, and consumer education rather than prohibition.
Ajayi-Kadir dismissed claims that sachet alcohol fuels underage drinking, citing independent government research that found no empirical link.
He noted that manufacturers have collectively invested over ₦1 billion in responsible drinking campaigns across media platforms.
Beyond policy concerns, Ajayi-Kadir warned of severe economic fallout should the ban proceed, projecting losses of over ₦1.9 trillion in investments, massive layoffs affecting more than 500,000 direct and 5 million indirect workers, and the potential collapse of indigenous beverage producers.
“This policy shift could destabilise a sector that is only beginning to recover,” he cautioned.
He also argued that sachet packaging provides affordable, regulated options for adult consumers, helping curb excessive drinking while limiting illicit trade. “A ban would drive demand underground, empower smugglers of unsafe foreign products, and deprive government of much-needed revenue,” he added.
MAN has therefore urged the Senate to withdraw its resolution and for NAFDAC to suspend enforcement of the ban, emphasising that regulation not prohibition remains the most sustainable path forward. “We support the removal of unsafe products, but such actions must rest on evidence, not emotion”. The livelihoods of millions of Nigerians depend on it.” he concluded.
