Over N2 trillion investment and six million jobs would be lost if the planned
ban on alcoholic beverages in sachets and containers below 200ml is enforced, the Food, Beverage and Tobacco Senior Staff Association (FOBTOB) has revealed.
The development, the group said, would also puncture the country’s aspiration for $1trillion economy.
The Senate had recently ordered the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to enforce ban on sachet alcohol and containers by December 31st,this year, citing health concerns .
At a press conference on Tuesday,FOBTOB’s National President, Comrade Jimoh Oyibo, implored the lawmakers to shelve enforcement of such directive and faulted them for giving audience to NAFDAC alone.
According to him, enforcement of the directive would bring about decline in capacity utilisation across beverage companies, proliferation of adulterated and unregulated alcoholic products.
He added that it would also bring about increased smuggling of foreign alcoholic drinks reduction in government revenue from taxation and create disincentive for investors.
According to him. similar ban imposed by NAFDAC was last year reversed after a House of Representatives public hearing that brought about a one-year extension to enable the development and validation of a National Alcohol Policy in October 2025.
The validated National Alcohol Policy recommends improved enforcement mechanisms, licensing of liquor outlets, multi-sectoral action plans, stricter monitoring by agencies such as NAFDAC and FCCPC, and nationwide enlightenment campaigns—rather than an outright ban, he said
He said claims by NAFDAC that sachet alcohol is widely abused by minors had been faulted by independent,and other researches.
He disclosed that the fiod industry has spent over a billion naira on public campaigns promoting responsible drinking and discouraging underage consumption, Oyibo stated.
He emphasized the need for the Senate to rescind its order to NAFDAC pending a full public hearing.
He also advised the lawmakers to invite all relevant stakeholders, review and adopt the validated National Alcohol Policy, assess the impact on the entire value chain, and visit affected companies to observe the scale of investments at risk.