The workers, who blocked the entrance to NAFDAC’s Lagos office, accused the agency of ignoring what they claimed was a Federal Government instruction to pause enforcement until the National Alcohol Policy is fully implemented.
Tensions rose on Thursday as members of the Food, Beverage and Tobacco Senior Staff Association (FOBTOB) staged a protest against the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) over its crackdown on sachet alcohol.
The workers, who blocked the entrance to NAFDAC’s Lagos office, accused the agency of ignoring what they claimed was a Federal Government instruction to pause enforcement until the National Alcohol Policy is fully implemented.
NAFDAC, however, dismissed the allegations, saying no official directive had been received. The agency described reports suggesting a suspension order as false and a misrepresentation of government policy, affirming its commitment to safeguarding public health.
Addressing the protesters, Comrade Kolawole Buhari, National Vice President of FOBTOB West, warned that the continued closure of factories and depots could put millions of jobs at risk. He estimated that about 5.5 million jobs across the value chain could be affected if enforcement continues.
“This action threatens 5.5 million jobs and runs counter to the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Job losses will push vulnerable children onto the streets, the very ones the government seeks to protect,” Buhari said.
Comrade Lanre Yusuf, National Deputy President of FOBTOB, also criticised NAFDAC’s Director-General, arguing that the agency’s actions conflict with Federal Government directives. He said the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) had jointly instructed that enforcement be put on hold.
“The Federal Government, through the SGF and ONSA, has directed a pause. The Director-General should comply and reopen all factories and depots that were sealed,” Yusuf added.
The dispute follows a statement from Terrence Kuanum, Special Adviser on Public Affairs to the SGF, clarifying that while the National Alcohol Policy was approved by the Federal Ministry of Health under President Tinubu’s directive, regulatory enforcement like sealing factories should be temporarily suspended until the policy is fully operational.
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