The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has shut 27 water companies over non-compliance with rules and regulations on quality assurance.
Director-General of NAFDAC, Mojisola Adeyeye, said the action was part of the agency’s efforts towards sustaining good hygiene in the packaged water industry.
Mrs Adeyeye said this at the National Convention of the Association for Table Water Producers of Nigeria (ATWAP) in Abuja on Tuesday. She was represented by the director, public affairs, NAFDAC, Jimoh Abubakar.
“Between January and August this year, we have shut down 27 packaged water industries that are not compliant, they are under seal, they have been sealed up and they will have to comply with good manufacturing practices before they are reopened,” she said.
The event is themed; “Developing a packaged water industry as a catalyst to economic growth and a greener economy in Nigeria.”
Mrs Adeyeye said the package water industry is a multi-billion naira business that the agency is taking seriously.
“Apart from the economic benefits, the health benefits are overwhelming and when you get it right, you would have gained a lot in terms of NAFDAC contribution to guarantee an overall health care development system.
“That’s why NAFDAC ensures that there is an absolute commitment to the issue of quality and standard,” she said.
She also said NAFDAC has registered 2,153 new water factories in the country between January and august, 2021.
“In the recent past, between January and August, 2021, we have over 2,153 water manufacturing outlets that have registered in Nigeria.
“We are here to partner with the industry and tell them that NAFDAC cannot do it alone, for them to help us to fish out the erring ones because they know the criminal elements in their midst and the illegal outfits that are operating.”
In her remarks, the national president of ATWAP, Clementina Ativie, said quacks and illegal producers are some of the major challenges confronting the water industry.
She noted that poor electricity supply in some areas of the country is also challenging for the industry.
“Poor electricity supply; making us to depend on diesel powered generators with additional cost on production, multiple taxation and overlapping functions by government agencies at all levels, ” she said.
She said despite all these challenges, the industry is still pushing to give the Nigerian populace wholesome results.
Ms Ativie explained that ATWAP members are well over 16,000 producers nationwide.
She said each producer employs an average of 15 people directly and about 15 more people indirectly.
“We therefore employ close to one million, six hundred thousand people along the water production value chain, which includes distribution, retailing and waste management.”
