Operations at the Lagos office of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) were disrupted on Wednesday after union members staged a protest and blocked the agency’s Isolo premises.
Staff arriving for work were forced to wait outside as members of the National Union of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Employees blocked access to both the entrance and exit gates.
The protest is a response to NAFDAC’s ongoing enforcement of the ban on alcoholic drinks sold in sachets and PET bottles smaller than 200 millilitres.
The union is calling for the immediate reopening of factories and production lines that were sealed due to the policy, warning that continued enforcement could have serious economic consequences for the industry.
Earlier this month, the union also protested at the Lagos NAFDAC office, claiming that the agency ignored a directive from the Federal Government to suspend enforcement of the ban.
According to the union, the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the Office of the National Security Adviser had instructed NAFDAC to halt enforcement and reopen sealed production lines.
NAFDAC, however, denied receiving any official instruction to stop enforcing the ban.
Police later arrived at the Isolo office, and the barricade was eventually removed, allowing staff to return inside.
Representatives from NAFDAC’s Director-General met with the union in talks, but no agreement was reached.
The union insisted that their protest would continue until their demands are met.
Union leaders urged NAFDAC to ease strict enforcement of the ban and instead focus on regulating access, such as limiting sales to minors, while stepping up public awareness campaigns about responsible alcohol consumption.
Protesters remain at the office, vowing to continue their demonstration until the agency addresses their concerns.
KanyiDaily recalls that reports emerged claiming the Federal Government ordered the NAFDAC to suspend the enforcement of planned ban on sachet alcohol and alcoholic drinks sold in 200ml plastic bottles.
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