A registered table water producer in Rivers State has attributed the recent rise in cholera and diarrhoea cases to the activities of unregistered and substandard water producers operating across the state.
Speaking with Today FM correspondent Eseose Onabu, Rivers-based water producer, Precious Dabor, said the proliferation of illegal factories operating without registration from the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) is undermining public health efforts and exposing consumers to serious health risks.
Dabor explained that many operators produce packaged drinking water in homes and remote communities without the required licences, while some allegedly use the registration details of legitimate companies to operate multiple unapproved production sites.
He also alleged that unqualified workers often disregard NAFDAC’s Standard Operating Procedures, resulting in poor production practices and unsafe drinking water.
According to him, the Association of Table Water Producers and Marketers of Nigeria (ATWAPMAN) has established a monitoring task force to identify and curb the activities of illegal producers, although he acknowledged that the group’s enforcement capacity remains limited.
Dabor called on the government to provide greater support for registered water producers, whom he said play a critical role in supplying safe and affordable drinking water.
He also urged authorities to strengthen the monitoring of water factories, intensify public awareness campaigns, and impose stricter sanctions on operators who fail to meet regulatory standards in order to reduce the incidence of waterborne diseases in Rivers State.
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