Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) seeks reversal of ban on alcohol in sachets, small bottles

Thursday, November 13, 2025 - The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria has urged the Federal Government to rescind its directive banning the production and sale of alcoholic drinks in sachets and small PET bottles by December 31, 2025.

MAN’s Director-General, Mr Segun Ajayi-Kadir, said in a statement on Wednesday in Lagos that the directive contradicted earlier progressive alternatives agreed upon by all stakeholders.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control plans to enforce the ban on sachet alcoholic beverages.

According to NAFDAC’s Director-General, Mrs Mojisola Adeyeye, the decision aims to curb the increasing misuse of cheap alcoholic drinks among youths and commercial drivers.

Ajayi-Kadir said the claim that minors were abusing the products had been disproved by several independent empirical studies conducted by the government.

He said that despite those findings, the industry had launched extensive campaigns promoting responsible consumption and discouraging underage drinking.

He stressed that the latest directive contradicted the existing position of the House of Representatives on the matter.

Ajayi-Kadir warned that the move, which he described as counterproductive, could trigger severe economic disruptions and undermine the nation’s fragile recovery.

He said the ban would lead to the loss of over ₦1.9 trillion in investments, mostly by local firms, and the retrenchment of about 500,000 direct workers and five million indirect workers.

He added that it would reduce capacity utilisation in manufacturing, which had only recently begun to improve through the food and beverages sector.

The development, he said, could wipe out local businesses and weaken indigenous entrepreneurship across the economy.

Ajayi-Kadir noted that locally produced sachet alcohol was manufactured under hygienic conditions and certified by regulatory authorities.

He warned that banning such products would encourage the spread of illicit and unregulated alcohol, beyond the control of government agencies, and result in revenue losses.

He also said the move could open the market to foreign brands, many of which were smuggled into the country.

“We therefore make a strong appeal for swift approval and implementation of the validated Nigeria National Alcohol Policy and its multi-sectoral framework.

“We urge the Senate to reverse the ban on sachet alcoholic beverages and restrain NAFDAC from enforcing it from Dec. 31, 2025.

“MAN remains committed to ensuring that members producing sachet alcohol comply with regulations and uphold responsible consumption campaigns,” he said.