By Adekunle Adekoya
Several months ago, the National Agency for Foods, Drugs Administration and Control, NAFDAC, announced a bid to ban sale of alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets. The bid did not fly at the time, mainly as a result of pushbacks from vested interests, including manufacturers and distributors of the products.
Product packaging in sachets gained traction in Nigeria in the mid-90s when, first, the “pure water” industry emerged. Later, in a bid to secure market share, a popular milk brand introduced into the market its product in sachets, and it worked for the company like magic. It has since become a juggernaut in the dairy industry, making billions annually. Its success encouraged others and soon, everywhere you turned, you saw all kinds of products packaged for sale in sachets, including, yes, tomato puree.
Then, manufacturers of alcoholic beverages joined the fray, after a foreign brand, packaged in a small PET bottle, entered the Nigerian market from a fellow West African country. Its huge success in the Nigerian market empowered makers of the drink to advertise in the global marketplace. I saw its commercials on CNN, the global TV giant.
As Nigerians “no dey carry last”, the commercial success of the milk manufacturer and foreign alcoholic beverages spurred local entrepreneurs and in the twinkle of an eye, all manners of alcoholic beverages hit the market in sachets and small PET bottles. Venture entrepreneurs not operating on industrial scale also resorted to pocket-size PET bottles. All were, and still are smiling to the banks.
Everywhere in our major towns and cities, kiosks by the roadside display a dazzling cornucopia of products in sachets, from coffee to tomato puree and alcoholic beverages.
Human experience worldwide shows that innovation is always ahead of regulation. As these entrepreneurs went about their business, regulatory oversight was mainly lacking. Now that the regulator seems to have woken up to them, they have organised, unionised and become sufficiently powerful to push back against regulatory oversight.
And now the regulator has woken up, the pushbacks have resumed in earnest.
The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, MAN, is already wailing that the ban on alcoholic beverages in sachets, which we are told will come into effect by end of December 2025, will lead to an influx of foreign brands, and a whopping N1.9 trillion loss by local investors.
In a statement on Wednesday, Director General of MAN, Segun Ajayi-Kadir, while calling for rescission of the ban, noted that the issues on the ban had earlier been resolved by an enlarged committee comprising all the stakeholders and NAFDAC representatives, who validated the National Alcohol Policy in October 2025.
He emphasised that the statement of abuse by minors as a result of sales of the products in sachets has been dismissed by several empirical research that were independently conducted by the government.
His words: “This pronouncement, which we believe is counter-productive and forebodes economic dislocation of significant proportions for the nation at this period, will have serious consequences for the now stabilising economy for the following reasons:
“Loss of over N1.9 trillion investment, largely by the indigenous Nigerian companies; consequential mass retrenchment of over 500,000 direct employees and approximately five million indirect through contracts, marketing and other logistics;
“Reduction in capacity utilisation in manufacturing, which in recent quarters began to gradually improve on account of the industry’s contribution as a component of food and beverages sector; and loss of indigenous businesses that may gradually obliterate local entrepreneurship development in the economy.”
Ajayi-Kadir further stated: “A ban would also literally yield the market to the influx of foreign brands, which are mostly smuggled. Apart from possible unwholesomeness, this will be at the expense of excluded domestic producers and loss of revenue for the Government.
“We therefore make a strident appeal for an expedited endorsement and implementation of the validated Nigeria National Alcohol Policy and its multi-sectoral implementation framework. We believe that this will make the implementation of the unwarranted ban unnecessary.”
I opted to copiously quote this response from MAN so we can appreciate the stridency of the pushback.
Daily and common experience shows that what we are really doing is growing an alcoholic youth population. Even minors are now using alcohol indiscriminately because access to it is unrestrained in any manner. Growing up, I remember that sale of alcohol was fairly well regulated. Beer parlours carried signs showing legends like” Wine $ Beer On and Off License.” Off license means you can buy and take away, while On License means you buy, use there, and go away. As a little boy, whenever I was sent to buy I was given a bag in which to carry it, or if a single bottle, I hid under my dress to avoid arrest by prowling inspectors. All these don’t exist anymore.
The pushback from MAN and other stakeholders notwithstanding, as a nation, we must control access to, and use of alcohol. Our failure in this regard has helped fuel the use of narcotics, especially by youths. Beyond alcohol, Codeine, tramadol, and opioids are now used freely by youths. What’s worsening the situation is the emergence of local brews, with street names like Colos, Skuchi and others, all of which are just damaging the mental and physical health of our people.
Economics of it notwithstanding, and despite the pushbacks, I am of the bent that the Nigerian nation must rise against the clear and present danger of growing a population of alcoholics by pushing through with this ban. If it’s available only in big bottles, it’s less easier to haul about, unlike sachets. Drinking responsibly should go with regulation. I support the ban on alcohol in sachets.
*Adekoya is a commentator on public issues
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