Members of the Distillers and Blenders Association of Nigeria have announced plans to stage a protest at the Lagos office of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) in opposition to the ban on the manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages in sachets.
News About Nigeria gathered that the protest is scheduled to take place on Tuesday at the NAFDAC Office on the Lagos-Oshodi Apapa Expressway, Isolo, Lagos.
The association’s decision to protest follows NAFDAC’s Director General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye’s announcement on Monday that the agency would begin enforcing the ban on the importation, manufacture, distribution, sale, and use of alcoholic beverages in sachets, PET, and glass bottles of 200ml and below.
During a press conference in Abuja, Adeyeye revealed that NAFDAC would collaborate with the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) to enforce the ban.
Adeyeye said, “We intend to work with the NURTW to ensure the enforcement of the banned products. We surely will work on that and ensure that they are stopped and phased out.”
She said that NAFDAC had commenced nationwide enforcement actions on February 1, 2024, after the window period given to manufacturers to sell off the banned products had elapsed on January 31, 2024.
“As of January 31st, 2024, there is no alcoholic beverage in these categories that are registered by NAFDAC. I also want to inform you that the agency has started enforcement actions to enforce the implementation of this policy.
“The window period given to manufacturers by NAFDAC to sell off all alcoholic drinks in this category elapsed on January 31st, 2024,” she said.
The Distillers and Blenders Association of Nigeria, in an invite sent to The Punch, invited attendees to join a “peaceful protest on NAFDAC’s ban on alcoholic beverage drinks in sachets and pet bottles.”
