As the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) intensifies it December 2025 phase-out deadline for sachet alcohol and alcoholic drinks packaged in PET bottles below 200ml, many traders are already counting their losses amid an uncertain future.

The crackdown, introduced as part of efforts to curb underage drinking and substance abuse, has led to seizures and disruption of businesses dealing in sachet alcohol and small-sized PET alcoholic beverages across the country.

While the public health objective of the policy has remained a major consideration, affected traders and industry stakeholders are raising concerns about the economic consequences of the enforcement, particularly for low-income Nigerians whose livelihoods depend on the trade.

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In Mokola, Ibadan, Oyo State, a petty trader, Iya Rashida, said the enforcement had compounded the hardship facing her family following the death of her husband six years ago.

“I lost my husband who used to be the breadwinner of the family six years ago. This trade is the only means of feeding, clothing and paying school fees for my three children. I can only beg the government to come to my rescue,” she said.

Another trader, Mrs Janet Ademola, appealed to the Federal Government and NAFDAC to consider the plight of petty traders whose businesses have been disrupted by the enforcement.

“We are begging the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and NAFDAC’s Director-General to come to our rescue. Our families are suffering. We have no other means of livelihood than this,” she said.

Mrs Ademola argued that the products were largely patronised by adults, particularly low-income earners, and urged the government to adopt measures that would protect children without destroying the livelihoods of legitimate traders.

“We do not sell sachet alcohol to children. Only low-income earners patronise us. Please, we want the government to find a lasting solution to this situation urgently,” she added.

For Mummy Afeez, a major distributor of sachet and small PET alcoholic beverages, the enforcement has resulted in the seizure of a substantial quantity of her goods, leaving her uncertain about how to rebuild a business that supports her six children.

She said the losses had devastated her family but expressed willingness to continue operating legally if the government provides a workable solution.

“Despite the fact that they have made my life and that of my family miserable, I don’t mind restocking the goods they confiscated on credit as soon as NAFDAC finds a better solution to the problem,” she said.

Beyond the immediate losses suffered by retailers, stakeholders warn that the enforcement could have wider economic consequences across the alcohol distribution chain.

They argued that the disruption affects not only manufacturers but also distributors, transporters, wholesalers, retailers and other informal workers who depend on the products for their daily earnings.

Some industry observers have also raised concerns that an aggressive clampdown could inadvertently fuel a black market for unregulated alcoholic products.

(The Nation)

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