The Ogun State government has announced that it will be carrying out compliance exercises on all table and sachet water factories in the state. This decision comes in the wake of the recent cholera outbreak in some parts of Ogun State.
The government has issued a stern warning, stating that any company found to be non-compliant during the investigation “will be shut down and will remain so until it meets all the required procedures.”
In the month of October, Ogun State recorded a total of 250 cholera cases, resulting in the unfortunate deaths of 12 individuals in the Ijebu North, Abeokuta South, and Abeokuta North Local Government Areas.
During a stakeholder’s meeting with members of the Table Water and Beverages Producers Association of Nigeria, Ogun State Chapter, the Commissioner for Environment, Ola Oresanya, emphasized the significance of the compliance exercise. It aims to address the environmental and hygienic negligence observed in the water production processes.
The meeting, attended by officials from the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Industries, Trade, and Investment, highlighted the disparity between the companies’ previous certification by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the environmental and hygienic deficiencies discovered during the cholera outbreak.
Oresanya stated, “These deficiencies have led to the outbreak of cholera, resulting in loss of lives and hospitalizations.”
To rectify the situation and ensure the safety of the residents, Oresanya explained that the state government will now “domesticate the NAFDAC certification” throughout the state. The compliance team will visit all water-producing factories to conduct on-the-spot assessments of their production processes.
Among the requirements, the team will request routine microbial analysis results of the products, examine the distance between production boreholes and septic tanks, evaluate the operational environment, and verify the medical certificate of fitness for human consumption.
The commissioner emphasized that both registered and unregistered water factories will be inspected, and he called for the full cooperation of all stakeholders.
Oresanya assured the stakeholders that the government’s intention is not to target or persecute any individual or company but to safeguard the health of Ogun State residents from preventable waterborne diseases.
In response, Femi Olukoga, the Chairman of the Table Water and Beverages Producers Association of Nigeria, Ogun State Chapter, pledged the full support of his members for the compliance exercise.
