Tuesday, September 1, 2026 - For many petty traders in Lagos, the ban on sachet and small-sized plastic-bottled alcoholic beverages has become more than a regulatory policy – it has become a threat to their livelihoods and ability to feed their families.
Members of the Lagos State chapter of Concerned Drink
Sellers and Traders Across Nigeria are appealing to the Federal Government and
the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC)
to suspend the enforcement of the ban on alcoholic drinks packaged in sachets
and plastic bottles below 200ml.
The traders, who recently marched through the streets of
Lagos to protest the enforcement, said the policy had left many of them
struggling with mounting debts, loss of income and uncertainty about how to
survive the worsening economic situation.
Their concerns followed NAFDAC’s directive that
manufacturers of alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets and plastic bottles
below 200ml should recall and destroy the affected products.
Chairman of the Lagos State chapter of the association,
Ogbeni Adebayo, said the enforcement had worsened the financial difficulties of
many retailers who depended on the sale of the products for their daily income.
He alleged that enforcement officers often carried out
aggressive operations, confiscating goods belonging to petty traders and
leaving them in desperate circumstances.
“On many occasions, the enforcers go on aggressive
operations, confiscating goods and putting these petty traders in a state of
hopelessness.
Over 90 per cent of the retailers you see here today are on
bank loans that they have no idea how to pay back,” Adebayo said.
He appealed to President Bola Tinubu and NAFDAC to
consider the plight of the traders, stressing that many had invested borrowed
money in their businesses.
“Where does the government want them to run to now? We are
calling on President Tinubu and NAFDAC to help us,” he said.
For some of the protesters, the issue goes beyond the sale
of alcoholic beverages. They said their livelihoods and the welfare of their
families were at stake.
A retailer, Imeh Iyang, who participated in the protest,
said he and his wife had relied on the business as their legitimate means of
livelihood.
“My wife and I sell sachet alcoholic beverages as legal
retailers. That’s our legitimate means of livelihood. Most of the women
gathered here today do the same business to cater for their families. Many of
them are single mothers and widows. How does the government want them to
survive this harsh economy?” he asked.
Another retailer, Lola Omololu, said she had depended on the
petty trade to care for her children since the death of her husband.
“Since I lost my husband, this petty trade has been my only
means of paying bills and feeding my children. I can’t go into prostitution or
do anything against the law to feed my children. The government should help
us,” she said.
Temitayo Shodeke also described the enforcement as
particularly difficult at a time when many families were already struggling
with rising living costs.
“In this harsh economy, the government’s decision, in
addition to NAFDAC’s enforcement, is brutal, to say the least. Is selling
sachet alcoholic beverages a crime?” she asked.
Shodeke appealed to the authorities to reconsider the impact
of the policy on small-scale retailers and provide them with alternatives
before enforcing measures that could deprive them of their means of survival.
“Do they want people to commit crimes before taking care of
their basic needs, or to fold their arms in idleness and die of extreme
hunger?” she said.
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