Proliferation of unhygienic pure water factories in Nigeria draws government agency’s ire
The alarming rate of illegal water factories operating in unhygienic conditions across Nigeria is “quite disturbing”, according to the Nigerian government’s agency in food and drugs. To curtail what it described as an ugly menace, NAFDAC has shut down water factories illegally operating in Okirika local government area of Rivers State.
NAFDAC Director of its Public Relations Unit, Dr Abubakar Jimoh, made this disclosure in Abuja. Dr. Jimoh explained that NAFDAC office in Port Harcourt, “after a successful raid of illegal sachet water producers in Okirika local government area of the state, the agency was alarmed at the unhygienic environment and had to shut down the six factories visited.”
He added that “What we saw in Okirika is horrible and despicable to say the least; most of the illegal producers, packaged their water directly from the bore hole without any filtration system and with very poor Hygienic Practice.
“The factories are located in dingy rooms while sachet waters were packed on bare floors, some were located very close to toilets, gutters and kitchens which is against the agency’s rules. Almost all the outfits can not be registered, they connect water directly from bore holes to water packaging machines. “No micro filters, UV water sterilizers and treatment plants; the environment is very bad, the operators are not trained and the Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) are not observed; everybody does what he likes.”
Dr. Jimoh revealed that two persons were arrested while others fled on sighting the officials of NAFDAC. Items confiscated in the course of the exercise included five generator sets, two water packaging machines, two water treatment machines, films, two standing fans and loosed parts of water packaging machines.
Dr. Jimoh warned against illegal sachet water producers to desist from producing unhygienic and unregistered packaged water that could endanger public health.