Retailers of alcoholic beverages in Lagos have protested the ongoing enforcement of the federal government’s ban on sachet alcohol and small-volume alcoholic drinks, accusing the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) of crippling their businesses.
The protesters, under the Lagos State chapter of the Concerned Drink Sellers and Traders Across Nigeria, marched through Lagos to demand a suspension of the enforcement and a review of the policy.
They alleged that NAFDAC raids, arrests and confiscation of their stock had wiped out the working capital of many petty traders and left them struggling to repay loans.
“Over 90 percent of the retailers you see here today are on bank loans that they have no idea of how to pay back,” the protesters said.
They appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the National Assembly and NAFDAC to intervene, arguing that the government could address concerns over harmful alcohol consumption without destroying the livelihoods of legitimate retailers.
According to the traders, many affected businesses had purchased their stock with personal savings or borrowed funds and were now unable to recover their investments because the products could neither be sold nor returned to suppliers.
One of the retailers, Imeh Iyang, said the trade was the main source of income for many families represented at the protest.
“My wife and I sell sachet alcoholic beverages as legal retailers. That’s our legitimate means of livelihood,” he said.
Another retailer, Lola Omololu, who identified herself as a widow, said the crackdown had made it increasingly difficult for her to provide for her children.
The retailers called for alternative measures, including stricter age restrictions, controlled distribution, public education and targeted monitoring, instead of what they described as indiscriminate raids and seizures.
NAFDAC, however, has defended the enforcement, saying it is part of its public-health mandate and is intended to protect young people and other vulnerable groups from cheap and easily concealed alcoholic products.
The latest protest adds to growing opposition to the enforcement from sections of the alcohol industry and organised labour.
Workers and manufacturers have previously protested the policy, while NAFDAC has continued to insist that the ban is being implemented in line with its regulatory and public-health responsibilities.
The retailers are now asking the federal government and lawmakers to reconsider the enforcement strategy, saying the economic consequences for small businesses should be weighed alongside the government's public-health objectives.
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