The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has raised concerns over the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control’s (NAFDAC) directive to ban the production and sale of alcoholic beverages in sachets and small bottles by December 31, 2025.
In a statement on Wednesday, MAN’s Director General, Segun Ajayi-Kadir, warned that the move could lead to a loss of over N1.9 trillion in investments and trigger mass retrenchment of more than 500,000 direct employees, with millions more indirectly affected.
Ajayi-Kadir noted that the issues surrounding sachet and small PET bottle alcohol had been resolved in October 2025 through an enlarged committee that included stakeholders and NAFDAC representatives, which validated the National Alcohol Policy. He described the latest directive as contradictory to prior stakeholder efforts and inconsistent with the House of Representatives’ position on the matter.
“This pronouncement is counterproductive and could cause serious economic disruption, affecting indigenous companies, employment, and the broader manufacturing sector,” Ajayi-Kadir said. He added that the ban could reduce capacity utilization in the sector, undermine local entrepreneurship, and destabilize recent improvements in the food and beverage industry.
MAN further argued that the sale of alcohol in sachets serves adults on a limited budget, offering them choice while potentially limiting excessive consumption. Ajayi-Kadir warned that banning sachets could fuel the proliferation of unregulated and unsafe alternatives, undermining public health and giving an advantage to smuggled foreign brands at the expense of local producers and government revenue.
The association appealed to the Senate to rescind the directive and called on NAFDAC to refrain from implementing the ban. Ajayi-Kadir emphasized that sudden regulatory shifts without comprehensive stakeholder consultation could have severe economic consequences for manufacturers, employees, and the informal value chain.
He reaffirmed MAN’s commitment to ensuring responsible production and consumption within the sector, including monitoring adherence to regulations, preventing underage sales, and supporting public education campaigns.
Ajayi-Kadir also stressed that earlier extensions and validations by the Ministry of Health should have guided the process, with proper stakeholder consultations conducted before any legislative pronouncement. He described the Senate’s directive, which appears based solely on NAFDAC’s opinion, as unfair and not reflective of industry consensus.
