A senior leader of the Celestial Church of Christ and former Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academics) of the University of Lagos, Professor Samuel Odeyemi, has warned that a ban on sachet alcoholic beverages could lead to job losses and cripple local industries.
Professor Odeyemi, who also serves as the General Youths Coordinator of the Celestial Church of Christ, cautioned the Federal Government and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) against what he described as a hasty policy move, insisting that sachet alcohol is an innovation, not a national menace.
He argued that outlawing sachet alcohol would deprive thousands of Nigerians of their livelihoods, drain company revenues and force some businesses to shut down.
Speaking to journalists on Friday at the Celestial Camp along the Lagos–Abeokuta Expressway, the professor of Chemistry and Physics urged authorities to address the real issues around sachet packaging rather than imposing an outright ban.
“Alcohol is an invention that is useful for many purposes. It is used in the production of pharmaceutical products.”
Prof Odeyemi stressed that despite religious objections in some quarters, alcohol remains globally relevant, particularly in medicine.
“While some religions discourage alcohol, its usage is universal – often as a solvent in medications like cough syrup.
Historically, advanced nations produced alcohol in large 50 litre containers, gradually reducing these to one litre sizes to encourage smaller dosages.”
He maintained that sachet packaging promotes moderation rather than abuse.
“In Africa, producers introduce the 10. ml sachet. The innovation actually discourages the intake of dangerous volume of alcohol.
“If this had been invented in Europe or China, it would be hailed as a breakthrough.
“In Nigeria, however, we tend to stifle local invention because of a bias against homegrown solutions.
“It is true that people abuse alcohol, Nigeria is not one of those countries People in many countries abuse alcohol more than Nigerians do.”
The church leader also warned against destroying homegrown industries through policy decisions.
“Do not destroy industry like ID Land, do not ban sachet water. Instead, encourage these industries to conduct further research to improve their systems.”
Addressing environmental concerns, he argued that recycling, not prohibition, is the solution.
“While polymeric materials are non-degradable and cause pollution, they are used and recycled successfully abroad.
“We should monetize the collection of these materials, turning waste management into a profitable business and creating a new culture of recycling.”
Professor Odeyemi further called on the government to strengthen regulation and innovation by empowering NAFDAC.
“The government should empower NAFDAC to establish laboratories in every state. The labs should focus on researching and refining locally- produced food and drinks items to meet.”
He concluded by urging parents and religious bodies to take responsibility for preventing underage alcohol consumption.
“Parents and religious institutions should devise means to discourage minors from taking alcohol.”
