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Sachet Alcohol Ban: Manufacturers Foresee 5.5m Job Loss

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The Distillers and Blenders Association of Nigeria (DIBAN) has said investments worth over N1.2trillion will be lost while 5.5 million direct and indirect workers would be out of jobs if the Federal Government insists on the recent ban implemented against the production and sale of sachet and PET bottle alcohol in the country.
DIBAN, a sub-sector under the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), stated in an open letter addressed to President Bola Tinubu.
In the letter, dated February 18, 2024, DIBAN noted that on January 31, 2024, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) placed an outright ban on the production and sale of alcoholic beverages in sachets and PET bottles.
The reasons given by the regulator were that the packaging of alcoholic beverages in sachets and pet bottles was responsible for the increase in alcoholic use among underage and that the packaging of alcoholic beverages in sachets and pet bottles increases the use of hard drugs.
In its pushback, DIBAN argued that NAFDAC had no legal or moral justification for placing an outright ban on the production of alcoholic beverages in sachets and pet bottles.
It said the alcoholic beverages were not produced or manufactured with hard drugs contrary to the assertion of NAFDAC.
The distillers also noted that there were no reports from the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to support the position of NAFDAC that the alcoholic beverages in sachets or pet bottles contain any hard drugs.
DIBAN said it had a conglomerate membership of over 24 corporate organisations mostly indigenous companies with few multinationals and are into production and manufacturing of wines and spirits with over 70 per cent local inputs.
The letter reads in part, “DIBAN’S investment is worth over N500billion. Indirect investments of other companies having one business or the other to do with DIBAN is also worth over N800billion.
“DIBAN’s contribution to the economy of Nigeria is worth over N1.2trillion. There are over 500,000 employees in the direct employment of DIBAN. DIBAN also provides indirect employment or work for over five million people”.
According to DIBAN, when NAFDAC first hinted at the ban, the association had spent over N1bn to support various media, advocacy and campaigns in various media outfits both print and electronics to ensure consumption of alcoholic beverages among our youth is not allowed no matter how little.
It further argued that bigger sizes encourage the consumption of bigger portions, while small sizes encourage portion control because it is logical that if you buy small, you consume small but if you buy big you consume big.
“If NAFDAC takes away small sizes, the Agency is simply encouraging excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages”, it said.
Suggesting the way forward, DIBAN urged the President to issue a directive to NAFDAC or an Executive Order immediately lifting the ban by NAFDAC on the production of alcoholic beverages in sachets and pet bottles.
It also called for the establishment of licensed liquor stores/outlets by Local Government Areas across Nigeria.

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PENGASSAN Tasks Multinationals On Workers’ Salary Increase 

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December 8, 2025

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The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has asked companies in the oil and gas sector to undertake urgent review of salaries of their workers in view of the prevailing harsh economic conditions in the country.
Also, the pensioners of Chevron Nigeria, under the aegis PenCoN, have lauded the President of PENGASSAN, Comrade Festus Osifo and his executive on their unrelenting efforts toward addressing pension abnormalities faced by retired workers in the oil and gas industry.
The association also appealed to the federal government to take necessary measures to check banditry and terrorist activities in parts of the country.
PENGASSAN President, Osifo who addressed journalists shortly after the National Executive Council meeting of the association in Abuja, at the weekend, said that though a lot of success has been recorded in negotiating salary reviews for its members, there are still organisations that have failed to lift their workers from the present harsh economic situation.
He said within this period, PENGASSAN has signed numerous Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs) which has brought smiles to the faces of its teeming members.
“This is because we recognise that our job, literally, is how to protect the job of our members, and how to enhance their pay,” he said.
Osifo said that operators in the oil and gas sectors always go for the best qualified professionals to carry out their operations.
“So, the same way they recruit the best, we also challenge them to provide the best condition of service and provide the best remuneration.
“Yes, today, a lot of companies will have achieved successes, but there are still few that we are still discussing at their CBAs, that we are not yet there.
“We still use this opportunity to call on these companies that are still foot dragging, that are still holding back, even with the massive devaluation that has occurred in our country, that still don’t want to fix the remuneration of our members.
“We are calling on them to do the needful, because for us in PENGASSAN we will push without holding back. We will push, using everything in our arsenal, to ensure that the needful is done,” he said.
Osifo spoke of the dispute with the Dangote Refinery group, saying there are still pending issues to be resolved.
“Gentlemen of the press, during the networking session, we also looked at the issues that are plaguing some of our branches, and you know that recently, we had some challenges in Dangote Refinery and PetroChemicals Ltd.
“And within this period, since our last National Industrial Action, we have been engaging them in a lot of conversations, but the issues are not fully resolved. There are still a lot of pending issues.
“Yes, the NEC decided that, yes, let us still consummate that process by pushing those issues, by engaging in dialogue to resolve the issues, and by also engaging all our social partners and stakeholders to get the issues resolved,” he said.
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SEC Unveils Digital Regulatory Hub To Boost Oversight Across Financial Markets

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December 8, 2025

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The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has launched the Regulatory Hub, a new centralized digital platform designed to streamline collaboration, strengthen oversight, and improve transparency across Nigeria’s financial and capital market ecosystem.
The Commission disclosed this in a statement posted on its website.
According to the commission, the platform connects key regulatory and security institutions including the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), and Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), enabling them to exchange information securely and in real time.
The launch of this regulatory hub comes ahead of the implementation of new tax laws in January 2026, with agencies such as the FIRS spreading its tentacles across sector to monitor compliance.
According to the SEC Director-General, Emomotimi Agama, the launch marks a significant step toward modernizing Nigeria’s regulatory framework through technology.
“The Regulatory Hub is a major step in our commitment to leverage technology for stronger regulatory synergy. By connecting regulators on one platform, we are building resilience, enhancing market integrity, and promoting investor confidence,” he said.
The SEC said the platform would help reduce bottlenecks in regulatory processes and facilitate faster, more informed decision-making across agencies.
Reinforcing the DG’s comments, the Executive Commissioner, Operations, Bola Ajomale, highlighted the operational benefits of the new system.
“The platform will significantly improve the timeliness and quality of regulatory decision-making. It provides a single window for regulators to share data, respond to requests, and collaborate seamlessly in safeguarding our financial and capital markets,” he said.
The commission believes the Regulatory Hub would support its broader mandate to strengthen investor protection, enhance market stability, and harmonize regulatory activities across the financial sector.
It urged stakeholders to initiate interest by emailing the Commission, adding that once registered, participants would be able to access the Hub and take advantage of its features.
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NAFDAC Decries Circulation Of Prohibited Food Items In markets …….Orders Vendors’ Immediate Cessation Of Dealings With Products 

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December 8, 2025

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The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has raised an alarm over the growing circulation of banned food products across markets in the country.
The agency, in a Press Release dated 6 December 2025, warned that these items including pasta, noodles, sugar and tomato paste are expressly listed on the Federal Government’s Customs Prohibition List and are illegal to import.
NAFDAC stated that the sale and distribution of such prohibited items violate national trade laws, compromise the integrity of Nigeria’s food control system, and pose significant public health risks, as they have not undergone the agency’s mandatory safety and quality evaluations.

Importers, market traders, and supermarket operators have therefore, been directed to immediately cease all dealings in these items and to notify their supply chain partners to halt transactions involving prohibited products.

The agency emphasized that failure to comply will attract strict enforcement measures, including seizure and destruction of goods, suspension or revocation of operational licences, and prosecution under relevant laws.

The statement said “The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has raised an alarm over the growing incidence of smuggling, sale, and distribution of regulated food products such as pasta, noodles, sugar, and tomato paste currently found in markets across the country.

“These products are expressly listed on the Federal Government’s Customs Prohibition List and are not permitted for importation”.

NAFDAC also called on other government bodies, including the Nigeria Customs Service, Nigeria Immigration Service(NIS) Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Nigeria Shippers Council, and the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS), to collaborate in enforcing the ban on these unsafe products.

By: Lady Godknows Ogbulu
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