The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), through its Ogun II Office in Ota, has taken decisive action against illicit packaged water production, sealing the facilities of 39 illegal producers in Ogun State. This enforcement occurred between February and June, as disclosed by Mr. Mawo Benu, the Ogun II State Coordinator for NAFDAC, during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Ota.

Mr. Benu elaborated that a total of 43 packaged water facilities underwent inspection during this period. Out of these, a significant 39 were found to be unsatisfactory, primarily due to various Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) violations. Consequently, these non-compliant facilities were sanctioned by the agency.

Reaffirming NAFDAC's commitment, Mr. Benu stated that the enforcement activities carried out from February demonstrate unequivocally that there is no refuge for producers of unwholesome and unregistered regulated products. He emphasized that NAFDAC has pledged to rigorously crack down on the operations of illegal producers and any facilities not adhering to compliance standards within its jurisdiction.

Furthermore, NAFDAC is actively seeking public cooperation. "The Agency earnestly seeks the collaboration of the public and all concerned stakeholders in our relentless pursuit to rid the nation of unregistered and unsafe products," Mr. Benu urged. He also encouraged members of the public to report any suspected illegal production sites or suspicious activities to the nearest NAFDAC office, thereby contributing to the safeguarding of public health.

Mr. Benu also highlighted an issue with some facilities that, despite being registered, were discovered during routine inspections to have fallen below acceptable hygiene standards. These facilities were found to be no longer maintaining the minimum requirements under which they were initially registered.

Among the violations observed, he listed several common issues: operating with expired licenses, the production of unapproved pack sizes, the unauthorized swapping of production facilities to unapproved manufacturing sites, and the fraudulent use of fake NAFDAC registration numbers for unregistered products.