NIGERIA – The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and The Association of Table Water Producers (ATWAP) are working together to adopt up-to-date methods of table water purification in Nasarawa State, Nigeria.
Table water is purified water from a natural source in which impurities are reduced to over 99%. Mineral and spring water have significantly higher levels of minerals and salts of non-biological nature, and are usually extracted from a natural underground water source by not undergoing the stringent process of impurities from the table, through which the table water passes.
The State Co-Ordinator NAFDAC, Mr. Dadi Nantim Mullak, revealed that the agency has been going out particularly to mob out expired, substandard and improperly labeled table water, poorly stored water and closing down factories with poor equipment and administering charges to strengthen them, but the gap is still huge
At a one-day workshop organized by the Karu and Keffi zone, Mararaba, Karu local government area of the state, he attributed the irregularities to a knowledge gap among manufacturers on what is required.
Mr. Mullak, posited that the essence of the workshop was to enlighten the people and ensure the transfer of knowledge on how to produce clean and safe drinking water to those with licenses, prior to dealing with those operating illegally.
He said since he assumed office in June, there had been concerted effort to meet with traditional monarchs and the community heads to ensure that the packaged water serves as a source of clean drinking water, hence the collaboration with ATWAP.
He also appealed to consumers of table drinking water to avail information to the agency on any ongoing illegal productions for proactive measures to be taken.
One of the participants at the workshop, Hajiya Ramat Sabo, a staff with Hafsat Table water, Keffi, commented that the workshop has served as an eye opener to her as an individual and is purposing to extend the same to other staff.
Earlier, the Karu/ Keffi chairman of ATWAP, Alhaji Usman Degi, decried the rise in the cost of raw materials, appealing to the government to step in.
“This has affected us so much making us run at a loss, hence pushing some of our members to cut corners to enable them run the business. Notwithstanding, we are working hard and trying to discourage some of our members who are into producing substandard water to produce quality drinking table water.”
Alhaji Usman noted that with the willingness and the collaborative efforts of NAFDAC, attaining quality water by the association is achievable, because the association cannot solely embark on aggressive monitoring that can ensure quality drinking water.
