The National Agency for Foods and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has raised the alarm over the safety of satchet water produced in the country, saying that most satchet water facilities are not producing according to the World Health Organisation (WHO) standards and regulations.
Speaking during the flag-off ceremony of the annual monitoring of water quality standard and compliance for water manufacturing facilities yesterday in Abuja, the director-general, NAFDAC, Dr Paul Orhii, said that the agency will commence a nationwide monitoring of water producers to ensure that they comply with the safety guidlines or face suspension of their business licenses.
According to Orhii, most of the table and pure water being produced in the country may not be fit for consumption as they could be hazardous to health.
He lamented that most registered satchet water facilities find it a daunting task to produce water according to the requirements of the WHO and so engage in sharp practices to make profit.
He said, “We discovered that majority of them are still producing under poor GMP. As a consequence, the quality, safety and wholesomeness of packaged water cannot be guaranteed”.
Orhii pointed out that all water producers must submit themselves to the monitoring exercise to check the quality of their product because of the importance of water in the society. He said about N8billion is made from water business in this country as 100 million Nigerians drink packaged water and their health must be protected.
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