The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has shut down 16 sachet water production factories across parts of Rivers State over various regulatory breaches, including operating without valid licences and poor hygienic conditions.
The enforcement exercise, which was carried out across selected local government areas, led to the sealing of several facilities found to be in violation of national standards governing packaged water production.
NAFDAC’s Director for the South-South Zone, Chukwuma Oligbu, confirmed the development in a statement issued in Port Harcourt on Friday. The statement was signed by the agency’s Public Relations Officer in the region, Cyril Monye.
According to the agency, the affected factories were located in Asari-Toru, Akuku-Toru, Degema and Ikwerre Local Government Areas of the state.
Oligbu warned producers of sachet water to ensure strict compliance with regulatory requirements, including obtaining valid operational licences and maintaining acceptable production standards. He stressed that operators with expired permits must immediately renew them or risk enforcement actions.
“The operation which was carried out in the four LGAs led to the closure of 16 sachet water factories while their owners were invited to the NAFDAC office,” the statement read.
Some of the affected facilities include Obra Bo Table Water in Abalama, Asari-Toru LGA; Loilia Table Water in Okpo, Degema LGA; Jima Table Water and Inye Table Water in Obuama Harry Town, Degema LGA; as well as Obuta, S.P. Nimi, Soaltam and Piasso Table Water companies, all also located within Degema communities.
In Akuku-Toru LGA, Granpa Table Water, Daa Ajuka Table Water and Diob Table Water in Abonnema were shut down. In Ikwerre LGA, four additional factories — AQUA-TOBSON, DUCO, CHISODEK and NEO BRAIN Table Water — were also affected.
The agency said investigations revealed multiple violations, including operation under unhygienic conditions, use of substandard filtration methods, expired licences, labelling irregularities and incorrect factory address information. It also alleged that some operators used inappropriate materials such as handkerchiefs as filters during production.
NAFDAC further warned against the siting of water production facilities in prohibited environments, including filling stations, stating that such practices violate established regulatory guidelines.
The agency cautioned that it would not hesitate to permanently shut down any facility found breaching safety standards or obstructing regulatory officers in the course of their duties, adding that such actions are punishable under the law.
Oligbu emphasised that there would be “no hiding place” for illegal or unregistered water production operations, noting that enforcement activities would continue across all parts of the state to protect public health.
He also urged members of the public to report suspicious or unwholesome products, stressing that timely information from citizens would help prevent unsafe goods from reaching consumers.
NAFDAC has intensified nationwide enforcement in recent years as part of efforts to combat the production and circulation of counterfeit and unsafe food and beverage products, particularly packaged water produced under substandard conditions.
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