The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has expressed its reservations regarding the recent ban on the sale of alcoholic drinks in sachets and Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) bottles. MAN's Director General, Segun Ajayi-Kadir, highlighted that the rationale behind the ban, which attributes the reported increase in alcohol use among underage individuals to these packaging formats, lacks a solid foundation. This statement was made available to Vanguard on Wednesday.

The ban, announced by the National Agency for Foods and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) on February 5, 2024, has sparked controversy. MAN's statement referenced previous concerns raised by key members of the Distillers and Blenders Association of Nigeria (DIBAN) in a letter dated 6/11/2018. In the letter, DIBAN contested the assertion that packaging alcoholic beverages in sachets and small PET bottles is solely responsible for the reported rise in underage alcohol consumption. They argued that this issue reflects a broader systemic problem and emphasized that no scientific or other studies have proven the claim linking the use of hard drugs to the production and sales of alcoholic drinks in sachets and small PET bottles.

MAN urged the government to reconsider its approach, suggesting that intensifying activities and providing support in the form of access control and tighter regulations would be more effective than implementing a ban. They cautioned that the ban could lead to negative consequences such as the emergence of a black market, proliferation of fake and adulterated products, and damage to local manufacturing and the economy. MAN called for the immediate reversal of the ban.

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