KEY POINTS

• Food and beverage workers protested at NAFDAC’s Lagos office demanding reversal of sealed production lines linked to the sachet alcohol ban.

• The union says federal authorities ordered enforcement to be suspended, but NAFDAC denies receiving such instructions.

• The agency insists it is acting lawfully and warns against misinformation that could cause confusion or panic

Members of the National Union of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Employees (NUFBTE) staged a protest at the Lagos office of National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control in Isolo, demanding the reopening of production lines shut following enforcement of a ban on sachet alcohol.

The demonstrators accused the agency of ignoring an alleged directive from the Federal Government ordering a pause in the restriction.

Union leaders claim the order to suspend enforcement came from both the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the Office of the National Security Adviser.

They insist that, based on this instruction, sealed production facilities should be reopened immediately to allow workers to return to their jobs.

NAFDAC Rejects Claims, Calls Reports False

In response, NAFDAC firmly denied receiving any such directive. In a statement issued by Director-General Mojisola Adeyeye, the agency described circulating reports as false and misleading, stressing that it has not been instructed to halt enforcement of the sachet and PET-bottled alcohol ban.

The regulator emphasised that it operates strictly within its legal mandate and only acts on officially communicated federal policies. It added that any decision affecting national regulatory actions would be announced through formal government channels.

NAFDAC cautioned that spreading unverified claims could trigger unnecessary public anxiety, distort understanding of government policy, and create economic uncertainty. It urged citizens, media organisations, and industry stakeholders to rely solely on information released through official platforms.