‘It threatens 5m jobs’: MAN asks FG to reverse sachet alcohol ban

The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has urged the Federal Government to cancel directives banning production and sale of alcoholic drinks in sachets and small PET bottles by December 31, 2025.

MAN Director-General, Segun Ajayi-Kadir, said this in a statement issued on Wednesday, November 12, 2025.

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) plans to enforce the ban on sachet alcoholic beverages.

According to NAFDAC Director-General, Mojisola Adeyeye, the decision aims to curb increasing misuse of cheap alcoholic drinks among youths and commercial drivers.

Ajayi-Kadir, however, said the claim that minors were abusing the products had been disproved by several independent empirical studies conducted by the government.

He said the industry had, in spite of the survey findings, launched extensive campaigns promoting responsible consumption and discouraging underage drinking.

Ajayi-Kadir stressed that the latest directive contradicted the existing position of the House of Representatives on the matter.

Ajayi-Kadir warned that the move, which he described as counterproductive, could trigger severe economic disruptions and undermine the nation’s fragile recovery.

The MAN boss said the ban would lead to loss of over N1.9 trillion in investments, mostly by local firms, and the retrenchment of about 500,000 direct workers and five million indirect ones.

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He added that it would reduce capacity utilisation in manufacturing, which had only recently begun to improve through the food and beverages sector.

The development, he said, could wipe out local businesses and weaken indigenous entrepreneurship across the economy.

Ajayi-Kadir noted that locally produced sachet alcohol was manufactured under hygienic conditions and certified by regulatory authorities.

He warned that banning such products would encourage the spread of illicit and unregulated alcohol, beyond the control of government agencies, and result in revenue losses.

The MAN DG stated: “We therefore make a strong appeal for swift approval and implementation of the validated Nigeria National Alcohol Policy and its multi-sectoral framework.

“We urge the Senate to reverse the ban on sachet alcoholic beverages and restrain NAFDAC from enforcing it from December 31, 2025.

“MAN remains committed to ensuring that members producing sachet alcohol comply with regulations and uphold responsible consumption campaigns.”

The Star