Labour unions in Nigeria have intensified their protest against the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) over its enforcement of a ban on alcoholic beverages sold in sachets and very small plastic bottles, disrupting operations at the agency’s Lagos office.
On Thursday, February 26, 2026, members of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the Food, Beverage and Tobacco Senior Staff Association (FOBTOB) barricaded the entrance to NAFDAC’s Isolo office for the seventh consecutive day, preventing employees from entering or leaving the premises.
The protest began around 07:00 local time and continued until police intervention restored access later in the morning.
Union leaders said the action will continue until their demands are met, including the reopening of factories and facilities sealed under the ban and the safeguarding of jobs they say are at risk.
Protesters chanted slogans such as “No work for us, no work for you,” and described the enforcement approach under NAFDAC leadership as overly harsh and economically damaging.
The dispute stems from regulations that prohibit the sale of alcoholic beverages in sachets and containers smaller than 200 millilitres a policy the regulator says aims to reduce harmful consumption and protect public health.
However, unions argue that widespread sealing of production lines and facilities linked to these products has fallout beyond the targeted sector, affecting workers, suppliers and broader local economies.
Despite claims by union representatives that government offices had previously advised a pause in enforcement, NAFDAC maintains it has received no official directive to halt the ban’s implementation.
Authorities have kept the protest largely peaceful, with no reports of violence, but tensions remain as labour groups vow to sustain pressure until their concerns are addressed.
