The Food Beverage and Tobacco Senior Staff Association (FBTSS) and the National Union of Food Beverages and Tobacco Employees (NUFBTE) have projected that more than 500,000 workers are at risk of losing their jobs due to the prohibition on the sale and consumption of alcohol in sachets and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles.
The associations spoke yesterday at the National Agency for Foods and Drugs Administration and Control, or NAFDAC, Lagos office, during a protest.
The demonstrators outlined the several economic drawbacks of the planned ban and urged the government to reevaluate its stance while pleading with the federal government to save the jobs of 500,000 Nigerians.
Associations claim that this one move would force over 500,000 breadwinners out of their positions and onto the already oversupplied Nigerian labor market.
The groups expressed concern that the new policy will cause additional economic difficulties for Nigeria, potentially resulting in the closure of the companies responsible for producing these goods.
Speaking during the protest, Emmanuel Idogien, Vice Chairman, NUFBTE, Lagos Council said: “Most of our jobs are at stake. Many companies will fold up, especially those local industries that serve as raw materials to the producers.”
They claimed that by paying taxes totaling several billions of naira, their employers have demonstrated that they are law-abiding, socially conscious people who support economic growth. Additionally, campaigns to educate the public about the risks associated with underage drinking and excessive consumption have been launched. Instead of tossing the baby out with the bathwater, they begged NAFDAC and the FG to withdraw the complete prohibition on these goods while the Agency regulates them and educates the public.
“With this ban, counterfeiters and moonshiners will have a field day which will give rise to various health problems” they stated.