Members of the National Union of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Employees (NUFBTE) have occupied the NAFDAC office complex in Isolo, Lagos State, demanding that the agency unseal production lines shut over the enforcement of the ban on sachet alcohol and small-volume alcoholic beverages.
According to the union, directives reportedly issued by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the Office of the National Security Adviser had called for a halt to enforcement actions, and NAFDAC should comply by unsealing the facilities.
The protesting workers called on the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to reopen affected factories, insisting that the continued closure of production lines was unjustified in light of what they described as a Federal Government directive to suspend enforcement of the ban.
However, NAFDAC had earlier firmly denied reports alleging that the Federal Government directed it to suspend enforcement actions on the regulation of sachet alcohol and 200ml PET bottle alcoholic products.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the agency had described the publication as false, maintaining that no such order was issued.
“The said publication is false, misleading, and does not reflect any official communication received by the Agency from the Federal Government.
“At no time has the Agency received any formal directive ordering the suspension of its regulatory or enforcement activities in respect of sachet alcohol products,” the Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, said.
She stressed that the agency remained guided strictly by its statutory mandate and duly communicated government policies.
“Any decision affecting national regulatory actions will be communicated through official government channels,” she added.
Adeyeye had reiterated that NAFDAC remains committed to safeguarding public health, ensuring regulatory compliance, and carrying out its responsibilities transparently and in accordance with established laws and due process.
She urged members of the public, industry stakeholders, and the media to disregard the report and rely solely on verified information released through the agency’s official platforms and authorised government communication channels.
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