Thursday, February 26 2026 - The ongoing dispute between labour unions and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, reached its seventh day on Thursday, as members of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Trade Union Congress, TUC, and the Food, Beverage and Tobacco Senior Staff Association, FOBTOB, staged a demonstration at the agency’s Isolo office in Lagos.
Protesters, chanting “No work for us, no work for you,”
blocked access to the office from approximately 7:00 a.m., preventing staff
from entering the premises for nearly two hours.
Operations were temporarily suspended until officers from
the Nigeria Police Force, Odi-Olowo Division, intervened, reopening the
entrance by around 11:00 a.m. The protest remained peaceful, with no reports of
violence.
Union officials affirmed that their demonstration would
persist until their grievances are fully addressed, including the reopening of
sealed factories and the reversal of subsequent staff dismissals.
“This is Day 7, and we are not backing down. We will
continue until our concerns are acknowledged,” Jeffery Igein, National
Secretary of FOBTOB said, reflecting the sentiments of the hundreds of workers
gathered outside the office.
The industrial action follows NAFDAC’s enforcement of a ban
on sachet alcohol and 10cl PET bottled products, which has led to the closure
of numerous indigenous factories, depots, and warehouses across the country.
During the protest, TUC Secretary, Comrade Anthony Oyaga
condemned the enforcement under Director-General Mojisola Adeyeye, describing
it as unfair and economically harmful.
“Indigenous manufacturing facilities are being shut down
indiscriminately. Factories, depots, and warehouses, including those storing
lawful products unrelated to the banned items, are being sealed. This is not
regulation; it is deliberate economic strangulation,” Oyaga said.
The unions highlighted the impact of the shutdowns, warning
that job losses are affecting families and creating financial strain for
workers. The ripple effects, they argued, extend to transporters, raw material
suppliers, distributors, retailers, market vendors, artisans, warehouse staff,
and logistics operators.
“An economy cannot thrive when industries are closed instead
of being properly regulated,” Oyaga added. The unions also cautioned that
prolonged closures could exacerbate youth poverty, increase social vices, and
pose national security concerns.
FOBTOB called for urgent intervention from President Bola
Tinubu, the National Assembly, state governors, traditional leaders, religious
authorities, and civil society organizations.
“We are not criminals. We are workers, producers, parents,
and taxpayers. We are Nigerians,” the statement read.
The unions are demanding the immediate reopening of affected
factories, depots, and warehouses, emphasizing the need for structured dialogue
and regulatory measures rather than punitive action.
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