Looming Mass Job Losses: Union Cries Out to FG, Protests Rock NAFDAC Office

Workers in the food and beverage sector staged yet another protest at the office of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) in Lagos, calling on the federal government to urgently intervene and protect their livelihoods.

For the fifth time in 2026, distillers operating under the umbrella of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Senior Staff Association (FOBTOB) flooded the NAFDAC office along the Oshodi-Apapa Expressway, Lagos, demanding an end to what they described as the crippling enforcement of the ban on sachet alcohol and PET bottles below 200ml.

The workers, both junior and senior staff, thronged the agency’s premises in large numbers, standing firm at the entrance of the facility as they voiced their frustration.

With emotions running high, they sang solidarity songs and waved placards boldly declaring, “Tinubu does not want jobs to be lost,” “Stop destroying local manufacturers,” “NAFDAC should release products put on hold,” and “5.5 million jobs at risk,” among others.

The protest followed the continued sealing of factories accused of violating the ban, a move labour leaders said had paralysed operations and pushed thousands of families to the brink of economic hardship.

National President of FOBTOB, Jimoh Oyibo, warned that shutting down legitimate, regulated manufacturers could open the floodgates for illegal operators.

“Once you stop licensed manufacturers from producing approved products, you create space for unregulated and dangerous alternatives,” Oyibo said. “This is not just about jobs it is about public safety, government revenue, and the survival of lawful businesses.”

Addressing the protesters, also, Secretary of National Union of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Employees, Comrade Jeffery Igein, said the enforcement contradicted the spirit of the national alcohol policy, which, according to him, had already been signed.

Igein stated, “The alcohol policy has been signed. Therefore, NAFDAC should have lifted restrictions on these factories.”

He added, “This action threatens manufacturers and workers. The economy is already harsh. Policies should support the president’s agenda of job protection and economic growth, not undermine it.”

The labour leaders insisted they were not resisting regulation but demanding clarity, dialogue, and policies that balanced public health concerns with economic realities.

He stated that similar protests were ongoing in Abuja and Aba, signalling growing nationwide dissatisfaction within the industry.

While some protesters claimed the federal government had directed a pause in enforcement, NAFDAC Director-General, Mojisola Adeyeye, maintained that no official communication to that effect had been received.

As uncertainty lingers, workers say they will not relent in their appeal to the federal government, warning that prolonged factory closures could worsen unemployment and deepen economic strain across the country.