Director-General of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Segun Ajayi-Kadir, has warned that the proposed ban on the production and sale of sachet alcohol will be counterproductive, threaten jobs, reduce government revenue and worsen public health outcomes by pushing consumers towards illicit and unsafe alternatives.
Ajayi-Kadir stated this in an interview on ARISE News on Thursday, where he said the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) acted unilaterally by fixing and enforcing a ban date without stakeholder consensus, despite contrary findings from joint studies and directives from key government institutions.
“To set the record straight, we did not agree that the ban should take effect in December. It has always been a monologue between NAFDAC and us. They fixed the date and they are executing the ban,” Ajayi-Kadir said.
He explained that contrary to claims that NAFDAC acted on legislative backing, the agency ignored multiple institutional resolutions against the ban.
“What they actually did was to ignore the directive of the House of Representatives, ignore the directive of the Federal Government as issued by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, and they also ignored a study conducted jointly by NAFDAC and MAN, which did not indicate that a ban would be effective or necessary,” he said.
Ajayi-Kadir stressed that manufacturers are not opposed to protecting children from alcohol consumption, but argued that banning sachet alcohol is a flawed and simplistic solution to a complex problem.
“We are not against the ban because we think NAFDAC’s concern is wrong. We agree that alcohol consumption by children is wrong. It should not be allowed, it should be condemned, discouraged, and those responsible should be punished. But that is a completely different argument from banning the production and sale of alcohol in sachets,” he said.
He rejected suggestions that MAN had shifted its position on the issue.
“So, to answer the question directly, we did not change our minds. We never agreed that the ban should come into effect on December 31,” he added.
According to the MAN Director-General, sachet packaging is a legitimate business model designed to serve low-income consumers and is used across several product categories.
“Alcohol in sachets is a business model that is also used for many other products. You have milk and several essential items in sachets to reach low-budget consumers. If it gets into the hands of the wrong people, the solution is to put measures in place, not to ban the product,” he said.
Ajayi-Kadir outlined a series of access-control measures he said manufacturers have proposed and, in some cases, implemented jointly with regulators.
“There are labels on products, on- and off-licence requirements, continuous campaigns, engagement across the value chain — producers, wholesalers, retailers and consumers. There is traceability. Manufacturers know who takes products from their factories. Data can be used to identify where products are getting into the wrong hands,” he said.
He cited international best practices and past recommendations by anti-drug agencies.
“Around July 2025, under an MTN anti-substance abuse initiative involving NDLEA and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, recommendations were made. Across the world, the concern is underage drinking, and the solution identified is restriction of access, not outright bans,” Ajayi-Kadir said.
He warned that bans often lead to unintended and dangerous consequences.
“What NAFDAC is quick to do is the option that will bring unintended consequences. Evidence from countries where this has been tried shows that it did not succeed,” he said.
Using an analogy, he argued that regulators must solve problems with precision rather than blunt instruments.
“When I was growing up, we had small penknives that were sharp and dangerous. If children misuse them, do you ban production? If the only tool you have is a hammer, every problem will look like a nail. That is not why regulatory agencies are established,” he said.
Ajayi-Kadir said enforcement failures should not justify policy abandonment.
“If something has not worked, you innovate. On our part as an industry, we have invested heavily in campaigns, billboards, school education, clubs and advocacy. The fact that you have not succeeded means you must improve the approach, not adopt an action that will be counterproductive,” he said.
Responding to concerns about worsening health outcomes, he maintained that the problem lies in poor execution, not wrong objectives.
“If you keep doing something the wrong way, you will keep getting the wrong results. The right way is collaboration, not monologue. Regulators must work with stakeholders, not impose predetermined decisions,” he said.
Ajayi-Kadir revealed that even NAFDAC’s own study advised against a ban.
“NAFDAC conducted a study and it did not recommend a ban. It recommended access control because a ban will be counterproductive,” he said.
On public protests against the ban, he denied MAN’s involvement, attributing them to labour unions concerned about job losses.
“Those protests were organised by labour unions. They were worried about losing their jobs, and rightly so. In times like this, anyone whose livelihood is threatened will stand up to defend it,” he said.
He warned that the ban would damage Nigeria’s economy and fuel illegal markets.
“This policy will affect livelihoods, industrialisation, government revenue and jobs. It will disrupt the market and open the door for illicit alcohol. In countries like Uganda and Côte d’Ivoire, bans only pushed people towards unsafe, locally brewed alcohol that posed even greater health risks,” Ajayi-Kadir said.
Calling for renewed engagement, he urged regulators to adopt balanced, evidence-based policies.
“Regulatory agencies are established for the common good. You must balance economic and health considerations in a way that is sustainable, practicable and effective. We are committed to preventing children’s access to alcohol, but bans are not the solution. Let us work together,” he said.
Boluwatife Enome
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