The Director-General Of The Manufacturers Association Of Nigeria

The Director-General of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Segun Ajayi-Kadir, strongly criticised the renewed enforcement of the ban on the production and sale of alcoholic beverages in sachets and small bottles, saying it will be counterproductive, harm employment, cut government revenue, and fuel illicit alcohol markets. He stressed that NAFDAC moved ahead without proper stakeholder engagement and disregarded prior resolutions and government directives. Ajayi-Kadir said MAN never agreed to the implementation date, and accused the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) of ignoring resolutions from the House of Representatives and a study conducted jointly with MAN that did not support a ban. Ajayi-Kadir warned that banning sachet alcohol threatens jobs and industrial capacity. He said the packaging format serves a legitimate market of low-income consumers and helps sustain broad employment across production, distribution and retail value chains. The MAN boss cautioned that an outright ban often pushes consumers toward unregulated, illicit products, which can be unsafe and pose larger public health risks than regulated sachet products manufactured under sanitary conditions. He referenced examples from other countries where bans drove illicit markets.
Ajayi-Kadir clarified that MAN is not opposed to reducing alcohol misuse or underage drinking, but argued that banning sachet packaging is a simplistic approach that does not address the underlying causes of abuse. He emphasised alternatives such as access control, traceability, licensing, education campaigns and joint industry-regulator efforts as more effective measures.
He used an analogy to illustrate that broad prohibitions are like solving nuanced problems with blunt tools not precise, evidence-based policy
directives including a December 15, 2025 suspension by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and a March 14, 2024 House resolution urging restraint and stakeholder consultation. These mixed signals have created confusion in the wines and spirits sector. Ajayi-Kadir urged regulators, lawmakers and industry groups to work collaboratively on balanced, evidence-based solutions that protect public health without jeopardising jobs, livelihoods or the formal economy. Previous industry estimates suggested a cost of up to N1.9 trillion in investments and potential for hundreds of thousands of job losses if the ban were implemented underscoring the stakes of regulatory decisions in the alcohol sector.
Meanwhile, NAFDAC insists the ban remains in force and is aimed at protecting children and vulnerable populations, despite industry backlash.