Petty traders in Lagos have appealed to the Federal Government and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to suspend enforcement of the ban on alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets and plastic bottles below 200ml.
The traders, under the Lagos State chapter of Concerned Drink Sellers and Traders Across Nigeria, recently took to the streets to protest the enforcement, saying the policy had severely affected their incomes and ability to provide for their families.
The appeal followed NAFDAC’s directive requiring manufacturers of alcoholic drinks packaged in sachets and plastic bottles below 200ml to recall and destroy affected products.
Chairman of the association’s Lagos chapter, Ogbeni Adebayo, said the enforcement had compounded the financial difficulties faced by retailers who relied on the products for their daily income.
He alleged that enforcement officers frequently conducted aggressive operations, confiscating goods from petty traders and leaving them with significant financial losses.
“On many occasions, the enforcers go on aggressive operations, confiscating goods and putting these petty traders in a state of hopelessness. Over 90 per cent of the retailers you see here today are on bank loans that they have no idea how to pay back,” Adebayo said.
He appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and NAFDAC to consider the plight of the affected traders, many of whom he said had borrowed money to establish or expand their businesses.
“Where does the government want them to run to now? We are calling on President Tinubu and NAFDAC to help us,” he said.
The protesters said the dispute was not simply about the sale of alcoholic drinks, but about the survival of small businesses and families that depend on the trade.
One of the retailers, Imeh Iyang, said he and his wife relied on the business as their legitimate source of income.
“My wife and I sell sachet alcoholic beverages as legal retailers. That’s our legitimate means of livelihood. Most of the women gathered here today do the same business to cater for their families. Many of them are single mothers and widows. How does the government want them to survive this harsh economy?” he asked.
Another trader, Lola Omololu, said the business had enabled her to provide for her children since the death of her husband.
“Since I lost my husband, this petty trade has been my only means of paying bills and feeding my children. I can’t go into prostitution or do anything against the law to feed my children. The government should help us,” she said.
Temitayo Shodeke said the enforcement had come at a particularly difficult time for households already facing increased living costs.
“In this harsh economy, the government’s decision, in addition to NAFDAC’s enforcement, is brutal, to say the least. Is selling sachet alcoholic beverages a crime?” she asked.
Shodeke urged the authorities to consider the economic consequences of the policy on small-scale retailers and provide alternative sources of income before implementing measures that could deprive them of their livelihoods.
“Do they want people to commit crimes before taking care of their basic needs, or to fold their arms in idleness and die of extreme hunger?” she said.
The protesters called for dialogue between the government, NAFDAC, retailers and other stakeholders before further enforcement measures are taken.
They said public health concerns should be balanced with the economic realities facing thousands of small-scale traders whose livelihoods depend on the affected products.
