The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control on Monday commenced the testing of packaged and bottled water in Niger State.
This is part of measures to ensure strict adherence to the specified Nigeria Industrial Standard for water production in the country due to lead poisoning that claimed over 23 lives in Rafi Local Government Area of the state.
Speaking while inaugurating the compulsory annual test in Minna on Monday, the Niger State Coordinator of NAFDAC, Dadi Mullah, said although the exercise is an annual event, but the Director General, of the Agency, Dr. Paul Orhii, specifically asked for special test for packaged water produced in Niger State.
Mullah said: “We are doing on the spot test to ascertain their compliance to given standards.
“All bottle and sachet water producers in the state are required to subject their water products to this on the spot test to ascertain their compliance to the NIS.
“After reports on the death of over 23 people, the DG has specifically said that water from Niger State be tested as it has become an important interest for him.
“For all categories of water that have passed through NAFDAC, it is very stringent.
“I can guarantee you that the water is safe for consumption, but I do not know whether the source of the water in Kagara is directly from ponds or rivers or that they just dug wells and start drinking the water.
“We will be able to find out because the test will tell us whether the water that is being processed has those heavy metals or not and if it does, then it means that the treatment process is poor.”
Mullah however disclosed that the water in Niger State generally is of high quality except for few factors and cases like the one in Rafi.
The Agency suspects that the water source may have been contaminated, thereby leading to death.
“We want to know the quality of water packaged and offered to people in Niger State and outside,” he added.
Mullah however disclosed that about 400 water factories registered with N25,000 each for the exercise across the state.
Speaking also, the Chairman of the Association of Table Water Producers in the state, Alhaji Nasiru Ndafogi, said the test would enhance the acceptability of their products by consumers.
Ndafogi said: “We have always been preaching to our members to deliver quality water to the people.”