• Petty traders, distributors count losses as enforcement bites; families face mounting hardship
Bennett Oghifo
The nationwide enforcement of the ban on sachet alcohol and alcoholic drinks in PET bottles below 200ml by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) is taking a heavy toll on petty traders and distributors, with thousands of small businesses reportedly losing their principal source of income.
Across markets and neighbourhoods in Oshogbo, Ibadan, Onitsha, Aba, Lagos and Abuja, traders who previously depended on the sale of the products for their daily earnings are now counting their losses, with some forced to close their kiosks and shops following the seizure of their merchandise.
The enforcement, which followed the expiration of the December 2025 phase-out deadline, was introduced as part of government’s efforts to curb underage drinking and substance abuse.
But while NAFDAC’s action is aimed at protecting public health, affected traders and some industry stakeholders have raised concerns over the socioeconomic consequences of the policy, particularly for low-income Nigerians operating at the bottom of the alcohol distribution chain.
For many of the traders, the products were among the few fast-moving consumer goods that provided regular cash flow to sustain their households.
A sachet alcohol retailer in Mokola, Ibadan, Iya Rashida, said the enforcement had severely affected her ability to provide for her three children.
Rashida who said she lost her husband six years ago explained that the business had since become her principal means of livelihood.
“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 reconsider the impact of the enforcement on petty traders.
“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.
Ademola also maintained that the products sold by traders were largely patronised by adults, particularly low-income consumers.
“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 PET alcoholic beverages below 200ml, the enforcement has translated into substantial financial losses following the seizure of her stock.
Afeez, who has six children, said the loss had left her uncertain about how to rebuild her business.
“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.
The enforcement has also triggered concerns among some industry watchers that a blanket crackdown on regulated alcoholic products could create unintended consequences, particularly if demand for affordable alcohol remains high.
They warned that driving legitimate products and retailers out of the market without addressing consumer demand could encourage the emergence of an illicit market for unregulated alcoholic products.
According to them, such a development could make it more difficult for regulatory authorities to monitor the quality and safety of products consumed by Nigerians, while potentially exposing consumers to adulterated or harmful substances.
The affected traders are therefore calling for a balance between NAFDAC’s public health responsibilities and the economic realities confronting small businesses.
They argue that the objective of protecting children from alcohol abuse could be pursued through stricter age verification, responsible retailing, public enlightenment and targeted enforcement against vendors who sell alcoholic products to minors, rather than measures that could wipe out the livelihoods of thousands of legitimate traders.
The dispute has consequently widened beyond the question of sachet alcohol itself to the broader issue of how regulatory policies affect informal businesses and vulnerable households.
For the traders, the immediate concern is survival.
With their stocks seized and their principal source of income disrupted, they are asking the federal government to consider a transition or cushioning arrangement that would enable affected businesses to adjust to the new regulatory regime.
As NAFDAC intensifies enforcement across the six geopolitical zones, the traders fear that continued seizures could result in more business closures and further pressure on households already struggling with the rising cost of living.
The policy has thus presented the Tinubu administration with a delicate balancing act: protecting Nigerians, particularly minors, from alcohol abuse while ensuring that regulatory enforcement does not inadvertently deepen economic hardship among thousands of small-scale traders whose livelihoods depend on the affected products.