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By John Ogunsemore
The Chief Executive Officer, Africa Safety Award for Excellence (AfriSAFE), Femi Da-silva, has backed the ban imposed on sale of sachet alcohol, saying it is a public health and safety issue that could not be wished away.
Da-silva stated this in a Thursday statement sent to Daily Sun.
Earlier this month, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) began implementing the nationwide prohibition on the production and sale of alcohol packaged in sachets and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles.
On Wednesday, members of the Food, Beverage and Tobacco Senior Staff Association (FOBTOB) shut down the Lagos office of NAFDAC, protesting the continued enforcement of the sachet alcohol ban despite what they described as clear directives from the Federal Government to halt the action.
NAFDAC has denied that any such directive came from the Federal Government, noting that the ban remained in force.
Da-silva said it was in this context that AfriSAFE, as Africa’s leading safety advocacy organisation, decided to wade into the matter.
Read full statement below:
The recent protest by food and beverage workers at the Lagos office of National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) over the ban on sachet alcohol has drawn some attention. As safety professionals and advocates for healthy workplaces, we recognise the economic anxieties this policy raises. At the same time, we must be clear: the protection of life, health, and community safety must remain the priority.
Why this policy is a safety issue not just a market issue
Sachet alcohol is inexpensive, highly accessible, and often consumed in uncontrolled quantities. From an occupational health and safety (OHS) standpoint, this creates a predictable risk chain:
* Impairment on duty leading to errors, injuries, and fatalities in construction, transport, oil & gas, and manufacturing
* Road traffic incidents linked to easy access and consumption in public spaces
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* Public health burdens that spill into workplaces, absenteeism, reduced productivity, and long-term medical costs.
Across Africa, we are working to strengthen process safety, behavioural safety, and risk management. It is inconsistent to pursue world-class safety standards in our industries while ignoring a clear upstream risk factor that undermines safe behaviour and decision-making.
Balancing livelihoods with life-saving outcomes
We empathise with workers and small businesses whose incomes may be affected. An amazing transition requires:
Clear timelines and communication from regulators- if this was done, then justifiable
Support for manufacturers and vendors to shift into compliant packaging and alternative product lines
Targeted public education on responsible alcohol use and workplace impairment
This is not about punishment; it is about risk reduction and harm prevention.
The bigger picture: building a safety culture that works in Africa
Nigeria are advancing toward globally aligned safety systems. That journey requires locally relevant interventions that reduce real-world risks. Policies that curb harmful consumption patterns are part of a holistic safety ecosystem alongside engineering controls, training, enforcement, and leadership.
We urge all stakeholders, regulators, manufacturers, unions, employers, and civil society to engage constructively.
Let us protect jobs by protecting lives first.
Safety is not a slogan; it is a system. And every preventable risk we remove saves a life, a family, and a future.
