•Jimoh Oyibo, FOBTOB President
The Food, Beverage and Tobacco Senior Staff Association (FOBTOB) has countered the claim by the NAFDAC Director-General, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, stating that it has not shut down any alcohol-producing company while enforcing the ban on alcohol packaged in sachets and containers smaller than 200ml.
FOBTOB, in its reaction by the President of the association, Jimoh Oyibo, said, “NAFDAC’s assertion that it ‘did not close down any company that makes alcohol’ and that its actions were limited to banning alcohol in sachets and small containers below 200ml does not, fully reflect the commercial and operational realities within the industry today.
Said Oyibo: “There are reports and documented instances of depots belonging to known businesses being sealed by NAFDAC while enforcing the ban in locations such as Enugu and Abakaliki states.
In some cases, these depots have remained sealed since January 20, 2026, despite housing a range of products that are not covered by the ban.
Notwithstanding, representations made by affected stakeholders, access to these depots has not been restored by NAFDAC, and this is affecting normal business operations.
As a labour union, the livelihoods of our members will be adversely affected by the closure of manufacturers’ depots.
” While we acknowledge and fully support the shared objective of protecting children, adolescents, and vulnerable populations from the harmful use of alcohol, we must express deep concern that the approach adopted by NAFDAC is disproportionate, economically disruptive, and inconsistent with broader regulatory and public health realities in Nigeria.”
Oyibo insisted that the ban on sachets and small containers below 200ml also risks tilting the market in favour of larger, better-capitalised multinational players who can absorb retooling costs and pivot to premium pack sizes.
Smaller local producers, who rely overwhelmingly on sachet sales, are disproportionately harmed, raising concerns about market concentration and unfair competitive outcomes.
Meanwhile, stakeholders in the industry and consumer rights group have staged protests in Lagos and Abuja against the NADFAC’s ban, emphasising that the policy could displace more than 5.5 million Nigerians from their jobs.
