By Joseph Erunke, Abuja

What began as a regulatory debate over public health spilled into the street as unemployed Nigerians converged on the headquarters of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), warning that a proposed enforcement against sachet alcoholic beverages could deepen job losses and economic distress.

Operating under the banner of the Coalition of Unemployed People in Nigeria, the protesters said the planned action, reportedly linked to the leadership of NAFDAC, threatens thousands of livelihoods tied to the distillery value chain,from factory floors and farms to transport and retail.

Speaking to journalists at the protest ground, the group’s spokesperson, Princess Mimi Peter Esq., framed the issue as an economic emergency rather than a moral or health crusade.

She argued that at a time of rising unemployment and inflation, shutting down an entire segment of the beverage market would be “counterproductive” to the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

According to the coalition, sachet alcohol products currently sold in Nigeria were tested, registered and approved by NAFDAC itself, making a sudden clampdown difficult to justify.

“If these products have now become dangerous, then the credibility of the regulatory process that approved them must also be questioned,” the group said.

The protesters also dismissed claims that sachet alcohol contains excessive alcohol levels, insisting that licensed distilleries operate within internationally accepted standards.

They maintained that container size, not content, is being unfairly targeted.
On concerns that sachet alcohol encourages underage drinking, the coalition argued that the real challenge lies in weak retail enforcement, not packaging.

“By that logic, single-stick cigarettes, single-dose medicines and other affordable consumer items should also be banned,” the group noted.

Environmental arguments were similarly challenged, with protesters pointing out that sachet packaging cuts across multiple industries, including water, milk and household products.

They urged authorities to prioritize waste management solutions over outright prohibition.

Beyond alcohol, the coalition accused regulators of overlooking more severe threats to young Nigerians, such as the abuse of tramadol, codeine mixtures and other psychoactive substances, while focusing public attention on sachet beverages.

As chants echoed outside the agency’s gates, the protesters warned that a sustained ban could trigger widespread factory closures, disrupt agricultural supply chains and worsen social instability through increased unemployment.

The group called for an immediate suspension of the enforcement plan, the reopening of sealed facilities and the launch of inclusive consultations with industry players, labour groups and other stakeholders.

“We are not against regulation. We are against policies that ignore science, economics and human consequences, “coalition said.