MAN accuses NAFDAC of sabotage, defying Presidency over sachet alcohol ban
The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has strongly condemned the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) for its renewed crackdown on the production and sale of alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets and small PET bottles, warning that the agency’s actions threaten the survival of indigenous manufacturers and blatantly defy federal directives.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Director General of MAN, Segun Ajayi-Kadir, described NAFDAC’s enforcement drive as an act of economic sabotage inimical to the profitable operation of the Wines and Spirits sector.
He warned that if left unchecked, the crackdown would lead to significant job losses and further strain the nation’s fragile economy.
Ajayi-Kadir accused the regulatory agency of acting unilaterally and illegally.
He pointed out that NAFDAC’s recent aggressive implementation of the ban over the last two weeks is in flagrant disobedience of a direct instruction from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), issued on December 15, 2025, which suspended the prohibition.
The MAN DG also highlighted that the agency’s actions directly contradict a legislative resolution passed by the House of Representatives on March 14, 2024.
Following an all-inclusive public hearing, the House had explicitly restrained NAFDAC from enforcing the ban, labeling it a needless punitive action that would harm the local industry.
Defending the economic relevance of sachet alcohol, Ajayi-Kadir argued that the packaging format was an innovation designed to serve adult consumers with lower purchasing power.
He insisted that banning these products denies low-income earners their right of choice and forces them out of the formal market.
"The advent of the sale of alcohol in sachets and PET bottles was an innovation to serve the segment of the adult population with low budgets who desire the product. The ban would, therefore, deny them the opportunity to exercise that right," he said.
The Association also raised public health concerns regarding the potential fallout of the ban.
Ajayi-Kadir contended that regulated sachet alcohol produced by local manufacturers is safe, hygienic, and certified.
He warned that eliminating these legitimate options would inadvertently create a vacuum that would be filled by illicit, unwholesome, and dangerous unregulated substances.
"To ban such products would open the floodgates of illicit and unwholesome substances that are not subject to regulation, are dangerous to health, and are beyond the control of the relevant regulatory agencies," he added.
MAN further suggested that, contrary to NAFDAC’s claims, the availability of alcohol in smaller portions could actually help discourage abuse, as it provides an alternative to purchasing larger, more expensive bottles that might encourage binge drinking.
The association called for an immediate halt to the crackdown to preserve the sanctity of government directives and protect the livelihoods of thousands of Nigerians employed in the sector.